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SEVEN 



GRADED SUNDAY SCHOOLS 



A SERIES OF 



PRACTICAL PAPERS 



EDITED BY 
/ 

JESSE LYMAN HURLBUT 

Secretary of the Sunday School Union of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church 






NEW YORK : HUNT & EATON 

CINCINNATI: CRANSTON & CURTS 

1893 



£677^7 






Copyright, 1893, by 

HUNT & EATON, 

New York. 



Electrotyped, printed, and bound by 

HUNT & EATON, 

150 Fifth Avenue, New York. 



LC Control Number 



tmp96 027620 



CONTENTS. 



PAGB 

The Essentials of a Graded Sunday 
School. By Jesse L. Hurlbut, D.D., 
Secretary of the Sunday School Union 
of the Methodist Episcopal Church. ... 5 

The Akron Plan. By Hon. Lewis Miller, 

of Akron, 11 

The Wilkesbarre Plan. By George S. 

Bennett, Esq., of Wilkesbarre, Pa 33 

The Detroit Plan. By Horace Hitch- 
cock, Esq., of Detroit, Mich 51 

The Erie Plan. By H. A. Strong, Esq., 

of Erie, Pa 65 

The Chicopee Plan. By Hon. L. E. 

Hitchcock, of Chicopee, Mass 79 

The Lynchburg Plan. By Irvine Garland 

Penn, of Lynchburg, Va 90 

The Plainfield Plan. By Jesse L. Hurl- 
but, D.D 103 

A Model Sunday School Room 113 



THE ESSENTIALS 

OF 

A GRADED SUNDAY SCHOOL. 



BY JESSE L. HURLBUT, D.D. 



THE living question in the Sunday school of 
to-day is that which considers its form of 
organization. As every good public school at 
the present time is a graded school, so every 
first-class Sunday school must be. There can 
be no efficient, regular, and satisfactory work 
done in a Sunday school without a system of 
grade. 

On this subject there is extensive inquiry, yet 
general lack of information. The majority of 
superintendents and teachers have either no 
conception or at best an exceedingly vague idea 
of what constitutes a graded Sunday school. 
We propose in a few words to set forth what are 
the essential features of a graded Sunday school. 



G Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

The first essential is that the school be divided 
into certain general departments, which may be 
three, four, or five in number. In our opinion 
the best division is into the four departments — 
Primary, Intermediate, Junior, and Senior. 
These departments should exist in reality, as 
well as in name, and each department should be 
recognized as a separate element in the work- 
ing of the school. 

A second essential is that of a definite and 
fixed number of classes in each department. 
It is not a graded Sunday school where a teacher 
and her class are advanced together into the 
Senior Department whenever the pupils reach 
the specified age. The inevitable result of such 
a course will be to have in a few years in the 
Senior Department a large number of " skeleton 
classes," each with a few members, which is 
the very evil to be avoided in the graded system. 
There should be in each department a definite 
number of classes, proportioned to the size of 
the school, and this number should be kept 
uniform. A Sunday school is always "dying 
at the top.*' by the loss of its scholars after the 
age of fifteen years. For this fact there are 



Essentials of a Graded Sunday School. 7 

many causes, some necessary, others avoid- 
able. But, whatever be the cause, it is a fact to 
be provided for in the management of the school ; 
and the provision should be, not in adding new 
classes, but in advancing scholars from the 
Junior Department and filling up senior classes 
already organized. The classes in the Senior 
Department should be kept few in number, but 
kept full in size. 

A third essential of the graded Sunday school 
is that of regular promotions from grade to 
grade, with change of teachers. It is not neces- 
sary for the pupils to pass from one class to 
another every year in the Sunday school, though 
this is done in the public school. While a pupil 
remains in the same department he may con- 
tinue in the same class and with the same 
teacher. But when he passes from one depart- 
ment to a higher, or from Junior to Senior, there 
should generally be a change of teachers. At 
the period of change from Primary to Interme- 
diate, from Intermediate to Junior, from Junior 
to Senior, the pupil should come under the care 
of a new teacher. If teachers are advanced 
with their scholars the entire system of grada- 



8 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

tion will be broken up, and the school will be 
graded in name only. 

A fourth essential element is that of stated 
and simultaneous transfers. The pupils should 
not be changed from class to class or from 
grade to grade whenever the superintendent 
thinks a change should be made. All the pro- 
motions should be made at once throughout the 
school. A "promotion Sunday" should be 
observed, and provided for long in advance. 
For three months preparations should be made, 
the superintendent and teachers should consult, a 
committee should consider every case, and the 
changes should be made deliberately and system- 
atically. On one Sunday in the year pupils 
should be promoted from department to depart- 
ment, and classes should be advanced from 
grade to grade in the several departments. The 
basis of promotion should be age, knowledge, and 
general maturity of character, and the authorities 
of the school should decide just how much 
weight should be given to each requirement. 

The above are all the elements that we con- 
sider essential ; but there are also two adjuncts 
of importance in the graded school. 



Essentials of a Graded Sunday School. 9 

One is that of a graded supplemental lesson 
for each department. Some regard this as an 
essential, and consider no Sunday school prop- 
erly a graded school without it. We regard it 
as important, but do not look upon it as one of 
the necessary features. There is need of a sup- 
plemental lesson ; it will greatly aid in making 
the Sunday school efficient, and it should be 
adapted to the various grades. But the supple- 
mental lesson, valuable as it is, we do not regard 
as one of the essential features of the graded 
system. 

Another is that of the annual examination. 
There are a few Sunday schools which require 
the pupil to pass an examination as the condition 
of promotion. This follows the analogy of the 
public school ; but in our judgment it is not an es- 
sential part of the graded system. The exami- 
nation in the Sunday school must of necessity be 
a very easy one, since it is upon lessons studied 
but little at home and given for a few minutes 
only once a week. It is apt to be a mere form, 
and sometimes is only a pretense. While we 
recommend examinations we believe that they 
should be left optional, and that the require- 



10 Seven Graded Suiiday Schools. 

ments for promotion should be those of age. 
general ability, and fitness of character. Some 
reward might be given in the form of a certif- 
icate, but it should not be necessary to obtain 
the certificate in order to receive promotion. 



The Akron Plan. 11 



THE AKRON PLAN. 



BY HON. LEWIS MILLER. 



AFTER an experience of more than twenty- 
five years with the graded system as car- 
ried on in our Akron Sunday school it can with 
confidence be recommended to others. It em- 
braces the entire school for all this time, but 
more especially a course of sixteen years which 
I will try to explain. 

Our rooms are a great convenience, and aid 
much in perfecting the classification ; the sys- 
tem, however, can be carried on in any of the 
present Sunday school rooms ; in fact, for a 
number ot years this system was a success in a 
church at Canton, O.. also in the old Akron 
Church. In each case there was one larger 
room and but a few separate small rooms. 

The classification is based on the age of the 
scholar ; if, however, a scholar seems from some 
cause to have advanced beyond his age in his 



12 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

general studies, which in most cases is determined 
by his standing in the public schools, such scholar 
is put in a class suited to his advancement. 

The following analysis will show more defi- 
nitely the system. 

THE INFANT DEPARTMENT 

meets in a separate room, fitted for the purpose 
with elevated seats. Children of about four 
years of age are received into this department, 
and remain until they are between eight and 
nine. Boys and girls are kept together in the 
same room or class. The class can be of any 
number ; we sometimes reach one hundred and 
fifty. The class is put in charge of one teacher, 
with as many assistants as desired. The regular 
International Berean Lessons are taught, and 
much time is given to song. In our Missionary 
Society this department becomes a separate 
band, with name and motto, making separate 
contributions, of which proper records are kept. 

THE INTERMEDIATE DEPARTMENT 

meets in a separate room, fitted similarly to the 
one described for the Infant Department. Schol- 



The Akron Plan. 13 

ars from the Infant Class are promoted into this 
department when eight years old, or sooner if, 
in the public schools, they are in the " Second 
Reader" grade. This class may be of any 
number ; ours sometimes reaches one hundred. 
Girls and boys are kept in the same class. 
This department is also put in charge of one 
teacher, who has such number of assistants as 
desired. The regular International Berean 
Lesson is taught in this room, similar in method 
to that in the Infant Class. The "No. One" 
Catechism is taught in this department as a sup- 
plemental lesson, and -it is expected that, before 
a scholar leaves this room, the Catechism will 
be thoroughly memorized. A public examina- 
tion is made before the scholars are promoted 
out of this department. This, like the Infant 
Department, becomes a separate missionary 
band. 

THE YOUTHS' DEPARTMENT 

meets in the main room, which is provided with 
a small table for each class ; chairs are used ; 
books and papers are kept in the class table, the 
teacher carrying the key, the superintendent 
and his assistants having master-keys. Schol- 



14 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

ars are promoted from the Intermediate Class to 
this department when ten years old, or when, 
in the public schools, they are in the "Third 
Reader " grade. As nearly as possible scholars 
of the same standing in the public schools are 
put in classes together, and this distinction is 
made with scholars of the same age. In this 
department boys and girls are put in separate 
classes numbering not to exceed eight, six being 
the standard. Each scholar is expected to have 
a Bible and read the story of the lesson. Much 
attention is given to have the scholar understand 
and comprehend the simple story as told in the 
Bible. The regular International Berean Lesson 
is taught ; the lesson book or Berean Leaf is 
given to each scholar to aid in preparing the 
lesson. The memorization of the names of the 
books of the Bible, names of the prominent 
Bible characters, and sections of the Catechism 
are required as supplemental lessons. For 
these supplemental lessons a series of pocket 
memory lessons is prepared by the school ; it is 
a neat little book, suited for a boy's vest pocket. 
An examination is made at the end of each year, 
and the names of scholars having the proper 



The Akron Plan. 15 

standing are placed on the Roll of Honor. 
Scholars remain in this department about four 
years. The younger classes are put nearest the 
superintendent's stand and, as they are pro- 
moted, are moved back each year, the teacher 
remaining with the same class during the four 
years. Each one of these classes is a separate 
missionary band and makes its separate re- 
port of missionary contributions. 

THE SENIOR DEPARTMENT 

classes meet in separate rooms. Scholars are 
promoted into this department when they are 
fourteen years old, or when they can show a 
standing equal to the public high school grade. 
Boys and girls are put into separate rooms, in 
which they remain under the charge of one 
teacher for three years. The class membership 
numbers from fifteen to twenty-five. The regular 
International Berean Lessons are taught, more 
in the analytical form, requiring simple analysis. 
A blackboard is permanently put on the wall of 
each room, which affords good opportunity for 
blackboard explanations. For supplemental 
lessons the scholars in this department take up 



16 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

the study of Bible history. Bible geography, and 
sections of the Catechism in suitable form for 
memory exercises. These classes form them- 
selves into regular missionary bands, taking a 
missionary field for a name, with suitable 
mottoes. It is expected that members of these 
classes acquaint themselves by reading, and by 
communication with some missionary, with the 
country and people which they have selected. 
The classes are socially entertained at the homes 
of the teacher or parents as frequently as is 
deemed proper to keep up a social interest. 

THE NORMAL DEPARTMENT. 

Scholars, when seventeen years old, or sooner 
if graduates of the public high school, are pro- 
moted into this department. The class may be 
of any number ; our classes have averaged 
about sixty. Ladies and gentlemen are placed 
in the same class, one teacher having charge. 
They organize themselves into a regular soci- 
ety, having a simple constitution, and subject to 
the regulation and direction of the Sunday 
school society. To the teacher is given the 
responsibility of seeing that proper decorum 



The Akron Plan. 17 

is always maintained. As nearly as possible 
the regular Chautauqua course of normal study 
is pursued. Regular monthly literary and so- 
cial meetings are held at the homes of the 
parents, which aid much to keep up the inter- 
est of the normal study. At the end of two 
years the scholars that have the proper stand- 
ing on the several written examinations in the 
normal studies receive, at the annual gradu- 
ating exercises, suitable diplomas, prepared by 
the school. The scholars do not understand 
that they are expected to leave or are excused 
from remaining longer in the school, but they 
are only now prepared for a better and higher 
work, that of teaching and leading others in the 
good work. Many of these graduates become 
volunteer teachers ; they join what, in our school, 
is known as our 

YOUNG PEOPLE'S DEPARTMENT. 

We have now three large classes in this de- 
partment, numbering in the aggregate about 
two hundred. One of these classes calls itself 
the "Reserve Corps." They are mostly com- 
posed of the normal alumni. This class take 
2 



18 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

up the regular lesson one Sabbath ahead of the 
school and, in regular order, become supplies 
for absent teachers. . They also study the best 
methods of impressing scriptural truth. The 
other two classes in this department include 
quite a number of our young married people. 
They aim to bring out the higher and deeper 
thoughts and teachings of the lesson. 

THE ASSEMBLY DEPARTMENT 

is composed of adult members of the school, 
meeting in a separate room, under one teacher; 
the number in the class is not limited. The 
lesson is here taught more on the lecture plan. 

A course of reading has been prepared, suited 
to each grade, which will give new life and in- 
terest to our library, and will enable us. without 
interfering with the regular lesson study of the 
school, to impress many things of deepest in- 
terest, such as temperance, church government 
and history, amusements and proper entertain- 
ments for young folks, leading them on, step by 
step, to habits of proper employment of leisure 
hours. 

Our aim is to interest the entire church by 



, 



The Akron Plan. 19 

intrusting the educational interests of the church 
to the Sunday school society, electing many of 
our oldest members to offices and selecting them 
as teachers. One of our officers is over seventy 
years of age, and no one in the Sabbath school 
takes greater interest or is more efficient, none 
more acceptable. 

The school is regularly organized and gov- 
erned by the constitution, as approved by the 
General Conference, and placed in the Church 
Discipline. Teachers are selected and placed 
by the superintendent, with the concurrence of 
the pastor, in the departments to which they are, 
in the superintendent's judgment, best adapted, 
and remain with the scholars or class through 
one department only unless specially changed 
by the superintendent. Promotions are made 
only once a year ; exceptional individual pro- 
motions may occur in some instances. 

This system possibly seems complicated and 
difficult to carry out ; we find it simple, easy, and 
natural, solving many problems that constantly 
arise in an ungraded school. It especially solves 
the problem of how to retain our young people in 
the Sunday school. Our system is thus given 



20 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

in detail in the hope that other schools may 
profit thereby. 

I will add some suggestions for practically 
working the scheme : 

There must be entire unanimity among the 
officers and teachers in order to successfully 
start and carry out a graded plan. 

First. It must meet with the approval of the 
pastor. 

Second. The superintendent must with the 
whole heart be in the effort. In fact, he should 
be, and I believe must be, the prime mover in 
every step. The superintendent and assistant 
superintendents in our school during all these 
years have every year done all of the work of 
classifying and arranging of classes, made their 
own " roll," etc. In this way, and in this way 
only, can they be properly strengthened for the 
work. They may, if they so choose, call other 
officers to their aid ; the pastor should, of course, 
at all times be consulted. The secretary might, 
in some cases, be of service. 

Third. The officers other than the superintend- 
ent, are expected to give their full approval and 
do all in their power, by encouragement and talk, 






The Akron Plan. 21 

to aid the work, and, where this cannot be had, 
secure at least no direct opposition. 

Fourth. The teachers have much to give up. 
The scholars in whom they have taken special 
interest may be taken away from them. They 
may not be assigned to have charge of such a 
class of scholars as they desire ; they may be 
asked to take a place or room which to them 
for some reason is not agreeable. Fears will 
be entertained by some that scholars will be 
lost from the school, etc. All these various 
objections should be overcome. The aggres- 
sive members should have much patience until 
the teachers are, as a body, at least willing to 
forego their fears and misgivings and will give 
the scheme a fair trial. Harmony will nearly 
always produce enthusiastic workers. 

METHOD FOR GETTING A PROPER GRADE. 

1. Make an enrollment of the school as fol- 
lows : 

John Brown, Third Reader, age eleven 

years, March 16, 1892. 
Samuel Findley, Fourth Reader, age twelve 

years, July 13, 1892. 



22 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

In this way complete the enrollment of the 
entire school, commencing either with the older 
or younger scholars, as may best suit : of course 
those whose ages are above twenty need not be 
taken ; all above that age should be enrolled as 
married and young people. This kind of an 
enrollment enables a clear understanding into 
what class to place every member of the 
school. 

2. Prepare an outline floor plan of the Sun- 
day school room on a scale large enough so that 
a space can be marked which each class is to 
occupy, and in each space write the names of 
the scholars, their ages, the number of the class, 
and the name of the teacher who is to have 
charge. For rooms with galleries or without 
the outline plan is the same. Arrange your 
plan so as to have all the different class spaces on 
the same sheet of paper. The diagram on page 

23 will give an idea of one kind of room. 

A sheet three feet by two and a half will be 
needed for a school of a thousand members. 

3. Having the age and standing in ability on 
a sheet of paper, outlined as described and illus- 
trated, the next step is to make the selection of 



The Akron Plan. 



23 



CALLERYROOMS, 

LOWER 
SIDE ROOMS. 



MAIN 




PLAN OF AKRON SCHOOL. 

N. B. This plan represents two floors on one diagram. 
The rooms numbered from i to 10 are in the gallery ; those 
from ii to 19 are under the gallery on the ground floor. 
The classes numbered from 20 to 56 are not separated by 
partitions, but are seated in chairs around tables. 



24 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

the scholars for the different grades and classes 
they are to occupy. Commencing with the 
Infant Class, write all the names of the Infant 
Class scholars into the space outlined for their 
class. Then place the names of the Intermediate 
Class in the space outlined for them. These two 
classes are not difficult to arrange, as all below 
eight years, boys or girls, are placed in the In- 
fant Class, and those between eight and ten in 
the Intermediate. These two grades may be 
subdivided into as many classes as may be de- 
sired ; in our school we have each of these two 
grades under one teacher, with one or two as- 
sistants. Where rooms are convenient subdivi- 
sions by age could be made with profit ; we so 
divide these classes, and sometimes teach them 
by sections. 

The Youth's Department is separated into 
classes of six to eight members each, and occu- 
pies the main room, boys and girls in separate 
classes, but so arranged that there is a class 
of girls, then a class of boys, and so on alter- 
nately ; as far as possible for boys we have 
a lady teacher and for girls a gentleman. 
We place the older scholars in the rear of the 



The Akron Plan. 23 

room, or in the " rear circle," as we say in our 
school. 

The roll of the school now serves an excellent 
purpose ; select all the boys that are past thir- 
teen years old, but not fourteen, and list them 
with their standing in the public schools. This is 
probably best understood by grade, say : 

John Brown, seventh Primary Grade, thirteen 

years, March 6, 1892. 
Samuel Jones, seventh Primary Grade, thir- 
teen years, July 24, 1892. 
Jacob Smith, seventh Primary Grade, thir- 
teen years, September 16, 1892. 
Isaac Miller, seventh Primary Grade, thir- 
teen years, April 20, 1892. 
Joseph Crankshaw, seventh Primary Grade, 

thirteen years. May 19, 1892. 
Thomas Marshall, seventh Primary Grade, 

thirteen years, February 10, 1892. 
You will not have much difficulty, in a school 
of three or four hundred scholars, to find several 
class lists all in the same grade and same age. 
This will also permit the selection of certain 
scholars somewhat in accordance with their so- 
cial standing. Probably one or two classes of 



26 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

each age will not all stand in the same grade 
as in the public schools, and there will be 
others who are not in the public or any other 
school. The judgment of the superintendent or 
committee must guide ; age probably will be 
much the best guide, and one, at least, that 
scholars will recognize and consent to more 
readily. As fast as classes are formed the 
names are placed in their locality on the diagram 
or school room plan. Sometimes, in order to 
keep the grade by years, the classes may not 
number six and sometimes may exceed six. All 
the classes are selected in the same way, a class 
of boys, then a class of girls, and the names of 
the scholars placed on the diagram as illustrated. 
Scholars above fourteen and under seventeen 
are comprised in another department, and should 
be grouped in the same way, only into much 
larger classes. Where separate rooms can be had 
fifteen or twenty will not be too many — young 
ladies and gentlemen separate. In small schools, 
of course, the classes would be less in number. 
The age will largely govern in this grade ; only 
such as are advanced ahead of their class will 
go into higher grades. The names for each 



The Akron Plan. 27 

class should be placed in the space they are to 
occupy on the diagram. 

The Normal Department is next to be selected. 
All above seventeen and below twenty that desire 
to take the course should be put into one class. 
If a room can be secured large enough fifty to 
seventy will not be too many. Ladies and gen- 
tlemen are placed in the same class. This class 
becomes an organized literary society, the 
teacher ex officio president. They meet fre- 
quently through the week at some home ; a 
short literary program is arranged and the even- 
ing filled up with proper social entertainment. 
The class may be composed of all the grades, 
first, second, third, and fourth, on the same plan 
as the C. L. S. C. readings are arranged, all the 
grades taking the same studies at the same time, 
as the studies are so prepared that either may 
precede the rest. Not all who enter the Normal 
will probably pursue the studies with such vigor 
as to undertake the written examinations, of 
which there should be at least two each year. 
A good plan is to have all go along with the 
class, because such as will not do thorough work 
enough to pass these examinations will, after 



28 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

all, probably get as much good in this class as 
they would in any other, and the associations are 
such as will in nearly all cases retain them in 
the school ; and many times, before the final 
graduation comes, they will make up the required 
work and finally receive their diplomas. Only 
those who have pursued the studies and have, 
with credit, passed the written examinations, 
should receive diplomas ; this gives the proper 
recognition and is an incentive to study. All 
who began the Normal work at the same time 
pass out of the class at one and the same time, 
unless by special request some one or more 
remain behind. Those who have not passed 
the examinations go out without diplomas. In 
our school we hold to a two years' course, half 
of the class moving out of the class each year, 
and new members being promoted into the 
class. This, it will be perceived, keeps a con- 
tinuous class, some coming into the class each 
year and others being removed, either with or 
without diplomas. With us this plan is working 
admirably, keeping up a continuous interest. 

The Assembly or Post-Graduate Department : 
The Department of the Young People is divided 



The Akron Plan. 29 

into a Reserve Corps and a Young People's 
Class. The Reserve Corps is made up of young 
people who have passed through the Normal De- 
partment and such others as will obligate them- 
selves to act as supply teachers in cases where 
regular teachers fail ; from this class permanent 
teachers are usually chosen. Other young peo- 
ple's classes are provided for those who do not 
thus obligate themselves but are willing attend- 
ants. 

In addition a Young Married People's Class 
and an Old Folks' Class belong to the Assembly 
or Post-Graduate Department. 

Having thus arranged to place in some de- 
partment and class every member of the school, 
and having every name placed on the diagram in 
the place or class where each scholar belongs, you 
can study the school members and their varied 
wants and desires, and so adjust teachers, rooms, 
and locations and provide for a thoroughly har- 
monious school. All this work should be done 
at least a week before promotion day, so that 
changes can be made after a careful looking 
over of the scheme of classification. Do not 
consult teachers or other officers than those who 



30 Seven Graded Stmday Schools. 

have been aiding in arranging the classification. 
You must give teachers and scholars to un- 
derstand that all has been done that is possible 
in the judgment of the officers for the interest 
of all the best possible results. Secure from the 
school a willingness to submit to the judgment 
of those whom they have placed at the head. 

All preparations being completed before the 
day of promotion, it will not need to exceed 
thirty minutes after the school is opened on pro- 
motion day to place every scholar in the class 
and department to which he belongs in a school 
of six to eight hundred scholars. The superin- 
tendent, with diagram in hand, remains at his 
desk, the assistants being his aides. He first 
calls the names of the Old Folks' Class and asks 
them to go into whatever room is assigned 
them; next the Young Married Folks' Class, the 
Reserve Corps, and Young People's Class, each 
in order will be asked to retire into the rooms or 
apartments assigned them. The teachers as- 
signed for these classes will at once be asked to 
take charge of such classes. The Normal Class 
members will be asked, with their teacher, to 
remove into the room assigned them. Then the 



The Akron Plan. 31 

classes between the ages of sixteen and seven- 
teen, with their teachers, to the rooms assigned 
them. The assistant superintendents will see 
that the rooms are in readiness and that the 
scholars recognize the rooms that they are to 
occupy. In the same way classes whose ages 
are between fifteen and sixteen, with their teach- 
ers, will be arranged in their rooms or apart- 
ments. In like manner the classes between 
fourteen and fifteen. This disposes of the As- 
sembly or Post-Graduate, the Normal and the 
Bible or Senior Departments. If in a modern 
room, with a full suite of apartments, these de- 
partments can be asked to close their doors and 
proceed with arranging themselves for work. 

The Youth's Department comes next in order. 
Every class, section, or desk being numbered to 
correspond with the diagram numbers, and the 
assistant superintendents being fully posted as to 
the order of these numbers, the teachers should 
be asked to remove to the class place to which 
they were assigned by the superintendent. 
The older scholars will be asked first, by reading 
the names of the scholars who belong to each 
class separately, requesting them to move to the 



32 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

class to which they were assigned. Read slowly 
enough to avoid confusion, waiting after the 
names of a class are read until all are fairly in 
their places ; soon all will understand and the 
work will proceed rapidly. Having thus called 
every teacher and every scholar and placed 
them in their proper classes in their order in the 
Youth's Department (the whole being done much 
quicker than it can be told how to do it), this de- 
partment is set to work ; the names of the 
scholars are carefully ascertained by the teacher 
of each class, preparatory to making up the 
class record, then the lesson can be taken up. 
All children between the ages of eight and 
eleven are placed in the Intermediate Depart- 
ment and placed under the care of the teacher 
selected for this division. Then all children 
under eight years go into the Infant Depart- 
ment. In some schools these last two depart- 
ments might be placed in one room and a suit- 
able number of teachers provided, so that grad- 
ing, similar to that of the Youth's Department, 
might be arranged. 



The Wilkesbarre Plan. 33 



THE WILKESBARRE PLAN. 



BY GEORGE S. BENNETT. 



THE topic assigned me is a large one. Being 
a business man I shall not attempt anything 
theoretical, but shall be as practical as possible. 
The best way I can serve you will be to give 
you the result of the effort made by our own 
school in trying to solve some of the problems 
of to-day, in the organization, management, 
and grading of Sunday schools. We have been 
asked to do this, and in speaking, therefore, of 
our own school, do not accuse us of seeking only 
to parade our school before you. We shall give 
you only the plans that have worked well with 
us, and tell you of the system and methods em- 
ployed and now in actual operation in the Sun- 
day school of the First Methodist Episcopal 
Church of Wilkesbarre, Pa. 

It has taken some time and much labor to 
get our machinery in working order. We do 



34 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

not claim to be pioneers or original. We have 
taken many of our ideas and plans from others ; 
we have no patent right on our system. What 
we have is yours, and if we should find any- 
thing of yours in this line suited to our use we 
should not hesitate to appropriate and incorpo- 
rate it in our own. 

CHURCH AND SCHOOL. 

We have a short and simple constitution, the 
form of which can be found in the Discipline of 
the Church. 

The school is a part of the church, and is un- 
der the supervision of the Sunday School Board, 
consisting of the pastor, the Sunday School 
Committee appointed by the Quarterly Confer- 
ence, the officers and teachers of the school. 
The superintendent is nominated annually by 
the Sunday School Board, and confirmed by the 
Quarterly Conference. The other officers of 
the school, male and female assistant superin- 
tendents, secretary, treasurer, librarian (who ap- 
points a suitable number of assistants), chorister, 
organist, teachers of the Primary and Interme- 
diate Departments (who appoint their assistants). 



The Wilkesbarre Plan. 35 

and the teacher of the Teachers' Class, are 
elected annually by ballot of the board. The 
teachers are nominated by the superintendent, 
with the concurrence of the pastor, and are 
elected annually by the board. The school is 
thus brought under the immediate care and 
control of the church, and is not a separate or 
distinct organization. Being thus one depart- 
ment of the church the official board of the 
church annually appropriates a sum of money 
sufficient to meet the ordinary running ex- 
penses of the school. Extra expenses are met 
in various ways. 

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. 

We have an Executive Committee of five, 
elected from among the officers and teachers, 
with the superintendent as chairman. This 
committee represents the school in the interim 
between the stated meetings of the Sunday 
School Board, conducts all examinations, has 
charge of all promotions from one class or de- 
partment to another, the distribution of pupils to 
classes, and the assignment of teachers to 
classes. 



36 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

BUILDING. 

The building occupied by our school is one of 
the finest ever erected for Sunday school pur- 
poses. When dedicated, in 1877, Dr. (now 
Bishop) Vincent declared it to be the most com- 
plete Sunday school chapel in the United States, 
and this, he added, meant the world, for the 
buildings of the United States for Sunday school 
use were infinitely superior to those of other 
countries. It is constructed in the shape of a 
semicircle and is two stories high. The first, 
or ground floor, contains a prayer room, church 
parlors, class rooms, and the library. The sec- 
ond, or principal floor, is arranged especially 
for Sunday school uses. This is a vaulted 
room with a gallery running entirely around it. 
Beneath the gallery, and facing the superin- 
tendent, are placed the Primary and Interme- 
diate Departments ; their seats are on raised plat- 
forms. Large folding doors with glass panels 
and illuminated Scripture texts shut off these 
rooms from the Junior Department. The gal- 
lery over these rooms contains five large Senior 
Class rooms. The floors are a series of wide 



The Wilkesbarre Plan. 37 

platforms, and chairs are used for seats. Lifting 
glazed doors, beautifully ornamented with ap- 
propriate Scripture texts, shut off these rooms 
from the auditorium. The main floor is occu- 
pied .by the pupils of the Junior Department, 
who sit on chairs grouped around their class 
tables. The Normal Class sits at one side and 
the Reserve Corps at the other side, behind the 
Junior Classes. The superintendent, from his 
platform, commands a view of the entire school. 
He can see everyone and everyone can see 
him and the blackboard behind him. The rooms 
are so arranged that at the opening and closing 
exercises the schoolrooms can be made one 
audience roorru The visitors' gallery is behind 
and over the head of the superintendent, facing 
the school. The woodwork of the interior is of 
Southern pine, finished in oil. The entire build- 
ing is beautifully painted and frescoed, but the 
decorator's hand is shown more prominently on 
the walls and vaulted ceiling of the Sunday 
school room, where the passion flower and grape- 
vine are artistically blended with the Greek and 
Latin symbols representing Christ. In the arch 
over the superintendent's desk is a large — 



38 Seven Graded Sunday Schools, 

almost life-size — oil painting on canvas, and at- 
tached directly to the wall. It is a copy of Hoff- 
mann's celebrated picture, "Christ in the 
Temple," and is pronounced a fine work of art. 
The floors are all covered with carpets, which 
are of colors that harmonize with the wall deco- 
rations, and the rooms are seated with chairs, 
making this Sunday school building unusually 
attractive and elegant. 

GRADING. 

Our school numbers 700, officers, teachers, 
and pupils, with a large percentage of men and 
women in the Senior Classes. We have most 
of the modern appliances for Sunday school 
work, and a most enterprising and faithful corps 
of officers and teachers. Until within four or 
five years our school had been divided into the 
usual Primary, Intermediate, Junior, and Senior 
Departments, and the teachers had for many 
years sustained a successful weekly teachers' 
meeting for the study of the lesson. There were, 
however, manifest weak points in the work done. 
The instruction on the part of the teachers, in 
many cases, was superficial, and there was lack 



TJie Wilkesbarre Plan. 39 

of study on the part of the pupils. The Sunday- 
school had been considered too much as a place 
where an hour or two could be pleasantly passed 
on the Sabbath, where the members could be 
entertained without much work or study on 
their part, and consequently was of little profit. 
Our officers and teachers for some time con- 
sidered how our school might be improved, 
made more efficient, and more satisfactory re- 
sults be obtained. A committee was appointed 
to consider the whole subject. The public school 
of to-day is looked upon as a model in method 
and thoroughness of work. While there are 
many points of difference between the two, yet 
progressive Sunday school workers have sought 
to overcome the apparent difficulties, and incor- 
porate, as far as possible, the best features of 
the secular school. 

Some of the members of our committee had 
been either directors, officers, or teachers of pub- 
lic schools, and thus gave to the subject the bene- 
fit of their knowledge and experience. The com- 
mittee spent considerable time in studying the 
plans adopted in successful schools — some of 
the more noted were visited ; prominent Sunday 



40 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

school leaders were consulted, and in every way- 
light and information were sought. They in due 
time made their report, which, after being thor- 
oughly considered and discussed, was unani- 
mously adopted, and the committee were in- 
structed to carry out the recommendations of 
their report. The committee had a delicate task 
to perform, to take a school of 700 members and 
arrange them in the different grades sought to be 
established. The whole plan was carefully ex- 
plained to the school, and printed circulars, con- 
taining full information, were placed in the hands 
of the Senior Department, where the greatest 
changes were to be made. The teachers 
for the new classes to be formed were first 
chosen, then the committee met with the other 
teachers of the classes in the Senior Grade, 
and by mutual agreement their scholars were 
permitted to leave any of the existing classes 
and join any of the new classes to be formed as 
they saw fit, without the least hesitation or em- 
barrassment either on the part of pupil or 
teacher. The members of the Reserve Corps 
were secured by special invitation from the 
superintendent. The classes of the Junior De- 



The Wilkesbarre Plan. 41 

partment were, with the general consent of their 
teachers, divided by the committee into the first, 
second, third, fourth, and fifth years. The com- 
mittee used their best judgment and made the 
assignments without examination, general at- 
tainments and age being the standards. Trans- 
fers were also made from the Primary to the 
Intermediate, and from the Intermediate to the 
Junior Department of such as should be pro- 
moted. Most of these changes were made on a 
review Sunday, though some time was previ- 
ously taken in the necessary detail work, and the 
transformation was accomplished with the best 
of feeling, both on the part of teachers and 
scholars. 

We have six grades, Primary, Intermediate, 
Junior, and Senior Departments, Normal Class, 
and Reserve Corps. • 

LESSONS. 

The International Lessons are used throughout 
the entire school. The standard of promotion 
from one department to another is the age of 
the pupil, knowledge of the ordinary lessons, and 
especially of the supplemental lessons studied in 



43 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

each class of the school, with two or three excep- 
tions. These supplemental lessons occupy the 
first five minutes of each lesson period, and con- 
tain valuable information in regard to the Bible 
and the Church. 

THE PRIMARY DEPARTMENT. 

In this room the instruction is oral, and the 
lesson is taught to the entire class by the princi- 
pal. She is assisted by several ladies in main- 
taining order, leading the music, marking the 
roll, taking the collection, noting birthdays, and 
caring for the wants of the children. The black- 
board and visible illustrations are freely used. 
The children remain here until they are eight 
years of age. They are taught besides the regular 
lessons the Lord's Prayer, the Beatitudes, a num- 
ber of verses of Scripture, and several Psalms. 
On passing an examination on these supplemen- 
tal lessons they are promoted to the Intermedi- 
ate Department. 

THE INTERMEDIATE DEPARTMENT. 

In this room also the instruction is mainly 
oral. The children are taught the lesson by the 



The Wilkesbarre Plan. 43 

principal, who uses blackboards and charts when 
needed. She likewise has her assistants, who 
perform for her the same service as is rendered 
by the assistants in the Primary Department. 
The Catechism of the Church, the Ten Com- 
mandments and the Apostles' Creed are taught 
as supplemental lessons. Here the children re- 
main three years, or until they are eleven years 
of age. On passing an examination on the sup- 
plemental lessons they are promoted to the 
Junior Department. 

THE JUNIOR DEPARTMENT. 

In this department the boys and girls are as- 
signed to separate classes. As far as possible 
the girls are taught by male and the boys by 
female teachers. Each class contains six or 
eight pupils, who sit around a little table, the 
drawer of which holds their order of exercises 
and singing books. The pupils remain in 
this department five years, or until they are six- 
teen years of age. These classes are divided 
into five sections, representing the five years of 
study in this grade. The pupils of the first sec- 
tion, or year, occupy seats to the right, imme- 



44 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

diately in front of the superintendent ; the 
pupils of the second year at the left, immedi- 
ately in front of the superintendent ; the pupils 
of the third year behind the first, and the pupils 
of the fourth year behind the second. The 
pupils of the fifth year sit at one side, at the left, 
and are divided into two large classes for con- 
venience sake, and use for recitation two of the 
church rooms on the first floor of the building. 
The teachers go with their classes as they are 
promoted from year to year in this grade, and 
when their classes are promoted to the Senior 
Department they turn back and take new classes 
from the Intermediate Department. 

The pupils of the first year, the most recent 
from the Intermediate Department, remain in 
this section one year, and then, if able to pass a 
satisfactory examination in the names of the 
books of the Bible and the five doctrines of 
grace, they may be promoted with their teach- 
ers to the second year. The supplemental les- 
sons in this grade are printed on cards and fur- 
nished to -each scholar. The pupils of the second 
year remain in this section one year, and then, 
if able to pass a satisfactory examination in Bible 



The Wilkesbarre Pla?i. 45 

biography from Adam to the Judges, the Apos- 
tles' Creed and the Beatitudes, they may be pro- 
moted to the third year. 

The pupils of the third year remain in this 
section one year, and then, if able to pass a sat- 
isfactory examination in Bible biography of the 
Judges and Kings, the Ten Commandments, 
the Great and New Commandments, they may 
be promoted to the fourth year. 

The pupils of the fourth year remain in this 
section one year, and then, if able to pass a sat- 
isfactory examination in the biography of the 
New Testament, the women of note in the Old 
and New Testaments and the eight points of 
Church economy, they may be promoted to the 
fifth year. 

The pupils of the fifth year remain in this sec- 
tion one year, and then, if able to pass a satis- 
factory examination in Bible geography and his- 
tory, they may be promoted to the Senior Depart- 
ment. 

THE RECEPTION CLASS. 

Connected with the Junior Department is a 
Reception Class for pupils between the ages of 
eleven and sixteen. All new scholars who join 



46 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

the school and are entitled to enter the Junior 
Department become members of this class. 
The teacher makes it her special duty to learn 
the scholar's age, attainments, home influence 
and surroundings, and tests his punctuality and 
regularity of attendance. After the scholar has 
passed a satisfactory probation he is assigned 
to a class in the graded system of the school. 

THE SENIOR DEPARTMENT. 

In the Senior Department the classes occupy 
three of the five large rooms in the gallery. The 
members of these classes remain in this grade 
three years. They study as supplemental les- 
sons "The Chautauqua Text Book Number 19 
— 'The Book of Books,' " divided into a course 
of study for three years. Those who pass satis- 
factory examinations, and who desire it, are 
promoted to the Normal Class. 

There is connected with the Senior Depart- 
ment a Lecture Class, where the lesson is taught 
entirely by the lecture method. No questions 
are asked the members. Visitors and strangers 
are made welcome to seats in this class. There 
is also a General Bible Class, where the lesson is 



The Wilkesbarre Plan. 47 

largely taught by questions and answers. These 
two classes — the Lecture and General Bible Class 
— occupy large rooms in the gallery, and are for 
those graduates of the Senior Department who 
do not wish to fit themselves for teachers in the 
Normal Class, and for all others of mature years 
who wish to study the International Sunday 
School Lessons without entering the graded 
system of the school. 

THE NORMAL CLASS. 

The Normal Class occupies seats on the main 
floor, at the left of the superintendent, during 
the opening and closing exercises, and uses for 
recitation one of the church rooms on the first 
floor of the building, furnished with blackboard 
and maps. In the Normal Class the regular 
International Lessons are studied very briefly. 
For two years the class is taught the lessons of 
the Chautauqua Normal Union, and passes 
yearly written examinations on the studies pur- 
sued. At the end of two years the members 
who have passed satisfactorily the examina- 
tions on the printed papers furnished by the 
Normal Union are graduated, receive their 



48 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

diplomas, and are promoted to the Reserve 
Corps, to be drafted on occasion into the teach- 
ing force. 

THE RESERVE CORPS. 

The Reserve Corps consists of the gradu- 
ates of the Normal Class and others who are 
specially fitted for teaching. They occupy seats 
on the main floor, at the right of the superintend- 
ent, during the opening and closing exercises, 
and use for recitation one of the church rooms 
on the first floor of the building. The members 
of this class enter it with the distinct understand- 
ing that they will hold themselves in readiness 
to teach when called upon, and they act, in 
turn, as substitute teachers for the regular teach- 
ers who may be absent. They study the lessons 
one week in advance of the school, so when 
asked to teach a class they are prepared by the 
study of the previous Sabbath. From this class 
the permanent teachers of the school are gener- 
ally taken. This fact is a great incentive to 
diligence and punctuality on the part of the regu- 
lar teachers, as they know that a number of 
qualified persons stand ready to take their places 
if they are irregular or not acceptable. 



The Wilkesbarre Plan. 49 

PROMOTIONS. 

Examinations in each department are held 
during the month of March, by the Executive 
Committee, and the promotions are all made on 
one Sunday in April. This promotion or com- 
mencement day becomes one of great interest 
and importance. The members of the Nor- 
mal Class who have passed their examinations 
are presented before the entire school by their 
teacher for graduation. They receive their 
diplomas from the hands of the pastor, who 
presents them with words of praise and encour- 
agement. They then take their seats with the 
Reserve Corps. Promotions from the Senior 
Department then fill up again the Normal Class. 
Promotions from the Junior Classes fill up the 
empty room in the Senior Department. The 
Junior Classes are all advanced one year, and 
the Intermediate Department gives a new first 
year to the Junior Grade. The depletion of the 
Intermediate Department is then supplied from 
the Primary Department. The primary room 
fills up, not by promotions, but by constant 
accessions made from Sunday to Sunday. 



50 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

CONCLUSION. 

We have tried to give you, as best we could, 
some idea of our school. We are by no means 
satisfied with it ; there are too many weak places 
yet to be found. We do not allow, however, our 
pupils to go on from year to year without learn- 
ing something, and we afford them the oppor- 
tunity of gaining much valuable knowledge. 
We shall continue to labor on in this line and 
try to make it what its name signifies that it 
is, a school - a school on the Sabbath for the 
study of God's word. We have gone into detail 
in regard to our work that we might help some 
out of difficulties under which they may labor. 
If we have dropped a word, or made any sug- 
gestions that shall be helpful to Sunday school 
workers in organizing and conducting their 
schools, we shall be amply paid for the prepa- 
ration of this paper. 



The Detroit Plan, 51 



THE DETROIT PLAN. 



BY HORACE HITCHCOCK; 



FOR many years, while serving as superin- 
tendent of Sunday schools, I saw hundreds 
of children grow up to young manhood and 
womanhood, and in a majority of cases go out 
from the school because they had reached such 
maturity. Every conceivable effort was made 
to retain them by securing the best teachers and 
offering such attractive social influences as 
could be introduced into a class. Occasionally 
some magnetic teacher with marked and strong 
personality would succeed for a time in holding 
a considerable number of young people in the 
school, but such teachers were hard to find. The 
The scholars never seemed willing subjects, but 
bound in some way to a service that was neither 
palatable nor in all cases profitable. Why is 
this so ? was the question asked by troubled 
teacher and superintendent, and too often it was 



52 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

attributed to the perverseness of the young people, 
and they were given over to the world with the 
hope that early instruction might have left some 
seed in their hearts that would in future years 
bear fruit for their good and the glory of God. 

In the midst of these discouraging conditions, 
which seemed to be almost universal in the Sun- 
day school (so much so that in every institute 
program was found this topic: "How can the 
young people be retained in the Sunday school, ' ' 
and when the paper was read and the discussion 
ended, the mystery was not solved), the writer 
began to search for the cause that produced these 
conditions, and asked the question of himself, Why 
did you leave the Sunday school at the age of six- 
teen, just as these people do you are so troubled 
about ? Going back to those days and digging 
out of memory their thoughts, I found that 
there existed in my mind the thought which 
was confirmed by the conduct of all schools, 
that the Sunday school was for children, and 
not for young people, and that as I was no longer 
a child I was out of place. It was not that I 
did not like to be in the school, but that I had 
changed conditions and the school had not : 



The Detroit Plan. 53 

therefore was not adapted to me or my wants. 
This was a revelation which led to the thought 
that the fault was not in the splendid young men 
and women who left us, but that of the organ- 
ization and adaptation of the school to their 
needs. The conclusion was that if we would 
retain our young people in the school and 
church, we must adopt methods and instruction 
which would be in accord with their age and 
thought. The public schools at once gave a 
pattern to be followed. The graded system 
made some part of the school fit every scholar 
who came to it, and gave to each one in lower 
grade a laudable and helpful ambition to reach 
the higher. This idea, I conceived, might, in a 
modified form, be introduced into the Sunday 
school, and as soon as the plan was matured I 
proceeded to introduce it into the Central Meth- 
odist Episcopal Sunday School of Detroit. I 
will as briefly as possible outline it, trusting it 
may be helpful to others. 

GRADES. 

The school was divided into four grades, 
namely, the Primary, Intermediate, Junior, and 



54 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

Senior, with two other departments, the Nor- 
mal and the Home, each one of which was 
under the direction of a special superintendent, 
all of whom were under the direction of the gen- 
eral superintendent, the object of this being 
to make some person who was adapted to the 
place responsible for the department ; and it has 
proved to be an excellent feature of the graded 
system, as every assistant superintendent, with- 
out any friction with others, has been ambitious 
to make his or her department as successful as 
possible. 

THE PRIMARY DEPARTMENT. 

This grade should consist of all children 
under eight years of age, under the instruction 
of a single teacher, with such assistants as are 
needed. Kindergarten methods of instruction 
may be introduced to give variety, and by the 
object lessons used to teach through the eye 
and by the movements of the body lessons 
from the Word never to be forgotten. Before 
promotion to a higher grade scholars should be 
able to repeat from memory the Apostles' 
Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the 
Twenty-third Psalm. The ingenious teacher 



The Detroit Plan. 55- 

in this grade will invent a hundred methods 
for instruction, but before all she must com- 
prehend that she is in the most responsible posi- 
tion in the school. She is laying the founda- 
tion for the instruction of the other grades, and 
as she builds so will the superstructure be strong 
or weak. 

THE INTERMEDIATE DEPARTMENT. 

This grade should be made up of scholars 
promoted from the Primary Grade, and all be- 
tween the ages of eight and twelve years, and 
should be divided into classes of about seven 
scholars each. They should study the same 
lesson as the Junior and Senior Grades, and in 
addition to that the Catechism of the Church to 
which the school belongs. This may be taught 
by the teacher of the class or by the superin- 
tendent of the department. Promotion to the 
Junior Grade should be made when scholars are 
about twelve years of age, or upon a test of fifty 
questions in the Catechism, to be answered in 
writing, the scholars to pass if forty are answered 
correctly. This is the test we employ in this 



56 Seven Graded Simday Schools. 

It is important that much should be done for 
these scholars. Special printed programs and 
reviews should be prepared for them, and they 
should receive much attention from the officers 
of the school. This department should also be 
a training school for teachers, who should be 
selected from the Seniors for their fitness for 
such work and after a pledge has been made 
that they will attend the weekly teachers' meet- 
ing for study and help in methods. These 
teachers should be promoted with their classes 
when they show they can do more advanced 
work. Great care should be taken in the selec- 
tion of a superintendent. One who is apt to 
teach will find abundant opportunity to assist 
both teachers and scholars. 

THE JUNIOR DEPARTMENT. 

All scholars between the ages of twelve and 
sixteen should be placed in this grade. In 
most schools this will be the largest department. 
The wisest and best teachers should be selected 
for it, as the scholars are of that age in which 
we find them restless and difficult to interest. 
As a rule it will be in the same room with the 



The Detroit Plan. 57 

Seniors, and should be recognized as a grade as 
frequently as Seniors. It may be done in many 
ways, but should be especially in the opening 
and closing exercises of the school. They may 
be' called upon to read responsively with the 
Seniors, or to sing the solo part of a hymn while 
all join in the chorus. Special work may be 
given them in connection with the school, but 
not jointly with any other department. If you 
can keep the Junior Grade busy you can both 
educate and benefit them. They have great 
pride in being recognized as a separate organ-r 
ization. The members of this grade should be 
promoted at the age of sixteen to the Senior 
Grade. It may be on some examination, but I 
believe it not best, for this is the point where 
the boy and girl have gone away from school 
because they thought they were no longer chil- 
dren and a child's school was not the place 
for them. Recognize the fact that they are 
young people as soon as they do. and promote 
them because they are, into an element that is 
congenial. At once they are bound to the 
school by personal pride and by social influences 
that they are not quick to abandon. Use these 



58 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

elements wisely, and the school has won a vic- 
tory. The superintendent of this department 
should be a person whom all the boys and girls 
like because he is one of them, and while he is 
'• one of them " he should not forget above all 
things that he is their superintendent, with a re- 
sponsibility resting upon him to secure their sal- 
vation. 

THE SENIOR DEPARTMENT. 

This most important grade will have in it all 
persons over sixteen years of age, and all classes 
should be on an equal footing ; that is, that all 
should be called Senior Classes, whether the 
members are sixteen or sixty. There should 
be no " Bible classes." 

In the formation of Senior Classes great 
care should be taken so to adjust them that 
there shall be no friction. The social idea must 
be considered, although the scholar should not 
know that it is being thought of. Scholars who 
would have no sympathy with each other, and 
who would never harmonize, should never be 
placed in the same class ; if they are, one or the 
other will leave the class or school. In the 
selection of teachers for the Senior Classes great 



The Detroit Plan. 59 

care should be taken. These scholars must be 
taught, not entertained ; so men and women 
must, if possible, be found who are well in- 
formed, apt to teach, consecrated to their work, 
and who will give to their lesson and class such 
attention as is required to insure successful 
work. It is far better in this grade to have a 
few good teachers with large classes than many 
teachers, some of whom are incompetent to 
instruct, and smaller classes. Special instruc- 
tion should be given in the way of courses of 
consecutive lessons, lectures, and anything that 
will supply the intellectual wants of these young 
people. Never allow the methods of instruc- 
tion to get into ruts. Teachers should be helped 
by pastor and superintendent, and nothing 
should be left undone which would interest and 
attract the young people. The social element 
should be employed under careful supervision, 
but always with the Senior Grade alone. Never 
allow the children of lower grades to have a 
part in a social gathering with the Seniors un- 
less by special invitation of the young people. 
This is the point where they are sensitive, and 
it must be well guarded. 



60 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

Employ the young people in every possible 
way. Let the ruling members of the church 
recognize them and give them all the church 
work possible, and they will do it, not only well, 
but with a spirit that will be inspiring to the 
church. 

Many years of experience convince me that 
from this department must come the best mate- 
rial for teachers for the school, and will help to 
settle the vexed question as to where we can 
get teachers. Take them from the Senior 
Grade and give them such Normal training as 
will fit them for teachers and officers. The 
knowledge that the superintendent is looking 
among the Seniors for competent persons to 
fill all places of responsibility is a great inspira- 
tion to them, and exalts their idea of the char- 
acter and usefulness of the Sunday school. 

The members of this grade are at an age 
v/hen they are ready to enter upon some busi- 
ness, and the question as to what it shall be and 
where they shall get a situation is a very seri- 
ous one to them. There is no way in which 
officers and teachers can bind the young people 
more closely to themselves and the school than 



The Detroit Plan. 61 

by taking a personal interest in their business, 
and helping them to secure such employment 
as they need, and securing situations where 
they will be under good influences. 

SUGGESTIONS. 

In the Primary Grade a great effort should be 
made by the teachers to secure a personal 
acquaintance with the mothers of the children. 
If possible call at their homes and thereby learn 
something of their home life, always making a 
memorandum of such things as impress the 
teacher as having an influence upon the charac- 
ter of the scholar. 

A Saturday afternoon reception for the moth- 
ers, who, if possible, are to bring their children, 
is an excellent method. It should be very in- 
formal. 

Avoid in this grade, as in all others, the idea 
of paying scholars by prizes, or in any other 
way, for efforts made to learn or do what is 
right, but always keep before them the idea that 
they are to do well because it is right. This 
gives the little ones a self-respect which is power- 
ful in its influence. 



62 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

In making promotions from one grade to 
another it is not best to have ironclad rules. If 
a class is to be promoted it is not best to leave 
one or more out because they have not quite 
reached the age required. Neither is it wise to 
insist upon a scholar being promoted because he 
has reached the proper age, unless he is willing 
to leave the class he is in. 

Promotion may be made once or twice a 
year. I think once is best, and then it should 
be at a special service in which all the school 
should take part. 

If a teacher is a misfit in a class the time for 
promotions is the time to put that teacher where 
he can work without friction, without giving any 
publicity to the change. It is also an excellent 
time to place a scholar not easily controlled 
with a teacher who is especially fitted to handle 
him. The scholar should never know why the 
change was made. 

Every Sunday school should have a Normal 
Class. Courses of study have been prepared 
which can be handled by any good teacher or 
pastor who will make an effort. This course 
will give not only teachers but scholars an ex- 



The Detroit Plan. 63 

alted idea of the Bible as a book, and prepare 
them to expound the lessons as they could not 
without such a course of study. If there is not 
a class individuals may take the course alone 
and pass examinations, which will entitle them 
to the diploma of some of the Sunday school 
assemblies. 

Many superintendents say they cannot grade 
their schools because they have not separate 
rooms for the departments. It is desirable to 
have separate rooms, but if you do not have 
them you should grade the school, putting each 
grade by itself in some part of the room, if you 
have but the one. An aisle or a curtain may be 
the dividing line. Most excellent results have 
been realized where the whole school was in 
one room. 

The Home Department is for the benefit of 
persons who cannot attend Sunday school. The 
conditions upon which membership is secured 
are that they shall study the lesson for the day 
one half hour on the Sabbath ; all members to 
report quarterly whether they have kept the 
pledge. Those who join this department are 
members of the school and entitled to all its 



64 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

privileges, such as lesson helps, the use of 
library, and all other things that other members 
enjoy. This department should include persons 
who are distant from the school, the aged, the 
sick, and may include persons who reside hun- 
dreds of miles away, especially those who have 
been members of the school in other days. This 
department should have a superintendent who 
will give it attention and look after all who be- 
come members. 



The Erie Plan. 65 



THE ERIE PLAN. 



BY H. A. STRONG. 



THE query often arises whether the modern 
Sunday school is now at its maximum of 
efficiency in the line of its development. Won- 
derful is the progress already attained. The 
introduction of the International Lesson System 
marks an epoch. Before that separate schools 
and even teachers were a law unto themselves. 
Now schools are in touch one with another ; 
sectarian barriers have been broken down ; 
the unity of the cause is recognized. The 
Church is one ; so are her schools. The cul- 
ture and the spirituality of the Church catholic 
everywhere are now the teacher of the teachers. 
Helps to Bible study are so multiplied and im- 
proved that it is difficult to see hew an advance 
step could be taken here. The testimony is 
well-nigh uncontradicted that the Bible is studied 
as never before in the light of modern research 



66 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

and science. Teachers, as a body, are measur- 
ing up to these privileges and responsibilities. 

The advance movement in Sunday school 
work may not be in its literature, nor in the effi- 
ciency or the enthusiasm of its corps of teachers. 
Elsewhere must we look for the necessity for 
improvement. 

The Sunday school is a school. The expres- 
sion sounds trite and tautological ; but it needs 
emphasis. Bishop Vincent in his latest book, 
"The Modern Sunday School," discusses the 
proposition that the "Sunday school is and 
must be a school." Out of the fullness of his 
knowledge and experience proof is there given 
that the organization, system of teaching, and 
methods of the public schools must be appro- 
priated by the Sunday school of the day. The 
modern Sunday school must stand or fall as it 
is contrasted with the modern public school. By 
such a comparison alone can excellencies or de- 
ficiencies be revealed. 

Wonderful has been the development of the 
public school system in the present generation. 
Great teachers have appeared in all ages and 
schools have gathered about them. But this 



The Erie Plan. 67 

age is remarkable in this, that it has adopted a 
system of instruction for youth and has trained 
teachers for that system. The combination of 
these two elements makes the modern common 
school system. Let the adults of to-day state 
the case of their day. Such a comparison would 
show the value of the present. The great boon 
from the State to the youth of to-day is an edu- 
cational system based on scientific principles. 

In that system two essentials must be empha- 
sized : first, departments ; and, second, the 
place of the pupil. These departments form a 
series that are mutually related and dependent. 
They each mark a step in the development of 
the mind of the pupil. Again, the pupil has his 
proper place in that system, assigned not by 
caprice but by a principle. That principle is the 
attainment of the pupil in the studies of the sys- 
tem. A competent instructor could find by 
examination the true place of any pupil in any 
city public school. Such a statement is so self- 
evident that it excites no surprise. It is as it 
should be. The method of assignment and pro- 
motion is the public school system. Without it 
that system would not be what it is. 



68 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

Apply now these essentials as tests to the Sun- 
day schools. How are pupils there assigned 
and promoted ? The answer must be that such 
assignment and promotions are there unknown. 
Here we touch a radical defect and weakness. 
The statement of that weakness hardly needs 
elaboration. 

As we study further the public school system 
we find there a course of study. That course 
of study, comprehensive and complete, the work 
of educators, is the glory of the system. It is 
this curriculum that makes its pupils students. 
In these points also compare the Sunday school. 

A summary of these conclusions may be 
made. The modern Sunday school is not the 
peer of the modern public school. The Sunday 
school has a defective system of unrelated, in- 
dependent departments. The modern public 
school has a perfect system of correlated de- 
pendent departments. The Sunday school has 
no system of promotions, no training school 
for teachers, and no course of study. Do its 
" pupils study ? Why, they are not required, nor 
examined. 

Is there a remedy for such defects ? Could 



The Erie Plan. G9 

its department be perfected ? Yes ; but the dis- 
ease is deeper than that. Could a system of pro- 
motions be devised? Undoubtedly. Could a 
teachers' class be formed ? Many schools have 
that. To treat these symptoms separately is not 
to reach the source of the disease. It is but to 
tamper with difficulties. 

The solution lies in a " Course of Study." In 
the public school the system rallied around a 
common center — its course of study. All the 
agencies employed were to render that course 
effective. Out of a supplemental lesson system 
will arise conditions that will crystallize into cor- 
relation of departments, methods of promotion, 
a Normal Department with its commencement 
day, and, best' of all, by the help of the home 
and the church, an atmosphere of study for the 
scholar without which a school cannot be. 

It is believed that such a course of study is 
practicable. Is it not thus that the modern Sun- 
day school as a school must be improved ? 

It is evident that the course of instruction in 
the Sunday school will be different from that 
of the day school. There, mental culture is 
sought ; here, spiritual culture is the end in 



70 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

view. There, many are the text-books on di- 
verse themes ; here, one book and one theme. 
The Bible and its revelation must be the book 
and the theme of any supplemental lesson sys- 
tem. It may be taken as an axiom that that 
system will be the most efficient and acceptable 
which has the most of the Bible in it and whose 
teachings best mirror the Bible. 

The writer has prepared a series of text-books 
to be used as a supplemental course of study in 
the Sunday school. These books have been 
compiled in connection with his work as super- 
intendent ; and as they were completed they 
were tested in the Sunday school at Erie, Pa. 
The first one was written five years ago, and 
since then they have been continuously used. 

This school, as now graded, consists of the 
following departments : Primary, Junior, Sen- 
ior, Normal, Reserve, and Assembly. The Pri- 
mary Department has a four years' course and 
classes to correspond. The Normal Depart- 
ment has adopted the two years' course of study 
of the Chautauqua Normal Union. The course 
of study to which attention is directed is an eight 
years' cource-four years for the Junior Depart- 



The Erie Plan. 71 

ment and four for the Senior Department. This 
course receives pupils from the Primary room 
at the age of about ten, and, after it is finished, 
passes them on to the Normal Department. 

THE BOOKS OF THE COURSE : * 

Junior Department : 

First Year — Catechism. 
Second Year — Catechism. 
Third Year— Life of Christ. 
Fourth Year — Church History. 

Senior Department : 

First Year — Jewish History. 

Second Year — Jewish History and the 

Bible. 
Third Year — Christian Evidences. 
Fourth Year — Christian Evidences. 

All these books are catechetical in form, sim- 
ple in statement, and seek through the questions 
to give the theme a natural unfolding. They 
are printed uniform in series. The Junior 
books have each about twenty pages the size of 

* These books have been published in pamphlet form by 
the Methodist Book Concern as " Graded Lessons for the 
Sunday School." 



72 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

the Church Catechism, and the Senior books 
have each about thirty pages. 

The Catechism is the first book of the series. 
Experience teaches that then memory best aids 
in its mastery. To these text-books on the Cate- 
chism is added a supplement on the books of the 
Bible and its history and geography. The " Life 
of Christ" undertakes to tell that life in the 
words of the gospels. " Church History " treats 
of the apostolic Church and great events in that 
history, as the Crusades and the Reformation 
under Luther and Wesley. The first Senior 
book, "Jewish History," follows mainly the out- 
line of the Old Testament emphasized by the 
lessons of the international course. The second 
year book completes that history, and has chap- 
ters on the Bible — its translations and geography, 
etc. The third and fourth years are employed 
in the study of " Christian Evidences." 

A glance shows that the course of study is a 
study of the Bible, the Junior books being 
taken from the New Testament, while the Sen- 
ior cover the Old Testament. 

This system calls for regular examination in 
which the classes of the school participate ; it 



The Erie Plan. 73 

creates an atmosphere of study for the scholars. 
They are expected and required to study, and 
they meet that expectation. This system fur- 
ther promotes harmony between the different 
departments of the school and forms a basis for 
promotion for the scholars and classes. Pro- 
motions are as regular and as judicious as in 
the public schools. 

For what it is, and what it promises, it is 
brought to the attention of the Church and Sun- 
day school. 

THE GRADING. 

In this work the number of departments into 
which the school is to be divided must be fixed. 
The following will probably be found requisite : 
Primary, Junior, Senior, Normal, Assembly, 
and Reserve Departments. The Primary De- 
partment may be graded in unison with the 
school and a course of four years' study be 
adopted. The Normal Department takes the 
Chautauqua Assembly course of study. The 
Assembly is the adult Bible Class of the school. 
Graduates of the Normal Department constitute 
the Reserve Department. This department 
studies the Sunday school lesson a week in ad- 



74 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

vance of the rest of the school, and stands ready 
to fill the places of absentee teachers. The 
main body of the school constitutes the Junior 
and the Senior departments. The course of 
study is for these Departments, and covers a 
period of eight years. Their grading is a work 
of tact and difficulty. 

The scholars should be formed into classes, 
averaging seven to a class. These classes, 
when organized, should be seated in the school, 
with the view of promotion from year to year. 
In a school of five hundred pupils the classes 
would average about five to each grade. 

Where these departments occupy the same 
room the Juniors may be seated on one side, 
according to rank, and the Seniors on the other 
side. The position of the class, being won by 
merit, becomes a place of honor which the 
superintendent wisely uses. In the first organ- 
ization a perfect grade is not attainable. Out 
of the material given only an approximation to 
the ideal can be hoped for. Time will cure de- 
fects. Each year the entire system moves. 
With a few annual promotions the actual 
attains the ideal and the system becomes per- 



The Erie Plan. 75 

feet in its grade. In this we make haste 
slowly. 

THE STUDY OF THE BOOKS. 

The time of the introduction of the books and 
the method of their study are for the decision of 
the school. A suggestion may be offered. The 
Sunday school year may follow that of the pub- 
lic school. If so, their study would begin in 
September, and the examination would be the 
June following. But, whenever introduced, it 
should be made plain that the books are auxil- 
iary only to the International System of Bible 
study. Each session should have an allotted 
period of time, at least five minutes, for their 
study. Each teacher can divide the given 
matter into convenient parts so that the whole 
may be mastered in nine months'. This study 
will be tested by an examination. 

THE ANNUAL EXAMINATION. 

This examination is the keystone of the whole 
system. Without it the course of study is a fail- 
ure. Its importance must be emphasized before 
the whole school. How to emphasize it is a 
problem that each school must solve. A de- 



76 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

scription of the plan adopted in the school where 
the system originated may throw some light on 
that question. Some Sunday in June is se- 
lected as the day for the examination, and of 
that day the school is forewarned. Examina- 
tion questions, twenty in number, and cover- 
ing the work of the year, are furnished each 
scholar. These questions are so printed as to 
leave blank spaces under each question for the 
answer to be written by the scholar. The whole 
session of the school is given up to the exami- 
nation. The papers are gathered and careful 
work is put thereon in marking the same. Each 
answer is marked on a scale of 5, and, if 
the answers are correct, the paper is marked 
100. The marks thus make a system of per- 
centage easily understood by all. The mini- 
mum percentage to pass the examination is 75. 
Those who get 75 and upward are known as 
honor students. 

The Sunday following the examination a full 
report of the work of the school is read. An 
honor roll of students who pass the examination 
is placed upon the blackboard or printed in fine 
form and placed upon the walls of the room. 



The Erie Plan. 77 

These honor names are arranged alphabetically 
and without the percentage of standing, so that 
it is an equal honor to all students. 

The Commencement Day of the graduates of 
the Normal Class occurs shortly after the ex- 
amination. These exercises are given on some 
suitable evening of the week, and are made the 
event of the school year. After the exercises 
comes the banquet. For this occasion the Sun- 
day school room is made by the graduates a 
veritable bower of floral beauty. The Normal 
graduates and the honor students are received 
as the honored guests at these festivities. 

Such a description may make plain how 
to emphasize the examination. At least two 
months before the examination the superintend- 
ent should make short, pointed appeals to the 
scholars and try to fill them with the spirit of 
study. These examination honors, open to every 
one, should be made plain to all. Adults work 
with an object in view. It is the same with the 
children. 

The written examination, its report read to 
the school, the roll of honor, the promotions, 
the Commencement and its banquet, are ap- 



78 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

peals not made in vain to the modern child. 
What must be the legitimate result of such an 
appeal to the children ? They work for the ex- 
amination as they do for the examination in the 
public schools. These last weeks are busy 
ones. They meet evenings at the homes of the 
teachers, and on Sunday they gather at the 
church in special session for class study. 

Under such inspiration whole classes have 
handed in perfect papers. And yet some may 
and will fail. For them a second examination 
is given. 

Then on the day of promotion the whole 
school moves forward and occupies the rank 
won. A course of study can thus revolutionize 
a school and create an atmosphere of genuine 
study. 



The Chicopee Plan. 79 



THE CHICOPEE PLAN. 



BY HON. L. E. HITCHCOCK. 



CAN the graded system be successfully used 
in small Sunday schools ? The plan de- 
scribed in this article has been in successful oper- 
ation for several years in the Central Methodist 
Episcopal Sunday school in Chicopee, Mass., 
in which the membership during that time has 
averaged 200 and the average attendance has- 
been about 150. 

Before describing in detail the plan it may be 
well to state three principles on which the plan 
is based : 

1. A school, in order to be such, must be in- 
structive as well as evangelistic, and if instruc- 
tion is to be given there are many principles of 
instruction which have been worked out in our 
system of public schools and which have come 
to be accepted as right principles of teaching 
anything, and these principles cannot be ignored 



80 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

in teaching in the Sunday schools any more than 
they can in the day schools without impairment 
of the results desired. 

2. In general terms, the most important prin- 
ciple of successful teaching is that it should be 
progressive and adapted in succeeding years to 
the normal development of the mind of the aver- 
age child, and this relates to the method of teach- 
ing a given subject as well as to the selection of 
the subjects which shall be taught. 

3. Another principle of successful teaching 
which is of almost as much importance as the 
one just alluded to is that there shall be one 
person at the head with a definite plan of 
work. 

Applying these principles to Sunday school 
work, this school supposes that there is certain 
instruction which properly belongs to the Sun- 
day school to give ; that there is no reason why 
the Sunday school should not make use of the 
best methods of instruction which are known to 
educators so far as applicable ; and that when 
the superintendent is elected to his place the 
church in effect commits to him or her the en- 
tire care of that part of the work of the church, 



The Chicopee Plan. 81 

and that it is perfectly proper for him to direct 
his teachers in the work which he will have done 
in his school during his term of office. 

PLAN OF ORGANIZATION. 

The school is divided into three departments, 
Primary, Intermediate, and Senior. The Pri- 
mary Department keeps the children until the 
New Year after they are eight years old ; the 
Intermediate takes them through a ten years' 
course of study, and then the Senior Depart- 
ment receives them into the Bible classes. 

The Primary Department, which meets in a 
room by itself and has its own order of exer- 
cises, is divided into as many classes with sepa- 
rate teachers as may be necessary for the proper 
care of its little folks, and all under the care of 
a superintendent of that department. The usual 
exercises of this department are of the general 
character customary in such grades. 

In July the class which will graduate at the 
end of the year is formed and placed in the care 
of a certain teacher, whose special duty is to see 
that the class is prepared to graduate. The 
graduating exercises are public, and a neat di- 
6 



82 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

ploma is presented to each scholar who thus 
graduates. 

The Intermediate Department is divided into 
ten grades, each representing a year of study 
and each containing two classes, one of boys and 
one of girls, although there is no reason why 
boys and girls should not be together in the same 
class. There is no division of the Senior De- 
partment into grades. It contains only three 
classes, namely, the Young Men's Bible Class, 
the Young Ladies' Bible Class, and the General 
Class. 

COURSES OF STUDY. 

The principal work of the school is done along 
the lines of the International Lessons, which 
are used in all the departments, although the 
method of teaching them varies in the different 
grades. 

In addition to the International Lessons Supple- 
mental Lessons are taught in the Primary and 
Intermediate Departments. In the Primary De- 
partment these include the Lord's Prayer, the 
Ten Commandments, the Twenty-third Psalm, 
the Beatitudes, and the Apostles' Creed. 

The following schedule will show at a glance 



The Chicopee Plan. 



83 



what are the specific studies of each grade in 
the Intermediate Department : 



Age. 


Grade. 


9 


I 


IO 


II 


ii 


III 


12 


IV 


13 


V 


14 


VI 


15 


VII 


16 


VIII 


17 


IX 


iS 


X 



International Lesson. 






Learn and recite the 



Learn memory verses 
and one thought. 

Study persons (if any) 
and one thought. 

Study places (if any) 
and two thoughts. 

Study manners and cus- 
toms and two thoughts. 

Teachings of the lesson 
having special refer- 
ence to manhood and 
womanhood. 

Same as Grade VII. 

Teachings of lesson bear- 
ing directly upon prac- 
tical Christianity. 

Same as Grade IX. 



First half of Cate- 
chism No. i. 

Last half of Cate- 
chism No. i. 

Life of Jesus. 

Studies about the 

Bible. 
Bible Geography. 

Bible History. 

History of Chris- 
tian Church. 



History of M. E. 

Church. 
Doctrine and rules 

of the M. E. 

Church. 
Government of M. 

E. Church. 



Some explanation of the above is needed : 
1. The study of the International Lessons. 
In all the grades the first things to be learned in 
each lesson are the title, the Golden Text, and 
the lesson story, and after these are learned the 
teachers take up the specific grade instruction 

* These Supplemental Lessons have been published by 
Hunt & Eaton, New York, as " The Ten Minute Series." 



84 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

as above. The lesson thought, which appears 
first in Grade III, is carried through all the re- 
maining grades as the central thought for the 
session. These thoughts are selected by the 
superintendent, and by him indicated to the 
teachers at the beginning of each quarter. To 
illustrate : Take the lesson for September 1 1 , 
1892, the title of which was Philip and the Ethi- 
opian. After learning the title, Golden Text, 
and lesson story the different grades will study 
as follows : 

Grades I and II. Learn the memory verses: 
35-38. 

Grade III. Learn the memory verses and 
study thought : " Philip preached Jesus." 

Grade IV. Study about the persons : Philip, 
Candace, the eunuch, and Esaias, and also the 
same thought as in Grade III. 

Grade V. Study about the places : Jerusalem, 
Gaza, Ethiopia, Azotus, and Cesarea, and the 
two thoughts: "Philip preached Jesus," and 
" Prompt response to call of duty." 

Grade VI. Study customs : going to Jerusa- 
lem to worship, ceremony of baptism, riding in 
chariot, and the same two thoughts as in Grade V. 



The Chicopee Plan. 85 

Grades VII and VIII. Thoughts— 

" Philip preached Jesus." 

" Prompt response to call of duty." 

"Habit of reading." 

" Understand as you read." 

"Act up to your knowledge." 
Grades IX and X. Thoughts— 

"Philip preached Jesus, I can do the same." 

" Prompt response to call of duty. How 
these calls come." 

" Fulfillment of prophecy." 

" Immediate conversion and baptism." 

"The new-found joy." 
2. The Supplemental Lessons. The aim of 
these lessons is to furnish systematic instruction 
upon the subjects indicated, which are matters 
that every well-informed person ought to know, 
but which cannot be taught from the Interna- 
tional Lessons. Each year contains thirty-six 
lessons which can easily be memorized and re- 
cited in the twenty minutes usually allowed for 
this study. The titles readily suggest the nature 
of the lessons. 

A weekly teachers' meeting is held under the 
direction of the superintendent for the purpose 



86 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

of assisting the teachers in the right understand- 
ing of the things required to be taught on the 
succeeding Sunday, and instructing them in 
methods of teaching that particular lesson. It 
is a sort of teachers' meeting and normal class 
combined. 

EXAMINATIONS AND MARKS. 

Written examinations upon the International 
Lessons are held at the end of each quarter, and 
one upon the Supplemental Lessons is held near 
the close of the year, upon each of which the 
scholars are marked. Each scholar is also 
marked at each session of the school upon a 
scale of five credits, as follows : one for attend- 
ance at the opening of the school, one for atten- 
tion during school time, one for attendance at 
closing the school, one for attendance upon 
preaching service, and one for lesson Study at 
home. These marks, taken in connection with 
the examination marks and the knowledge of 
the general work of the scholar during the year, 
determine his promotion at the end of the year. 
The scholar who completes the course satisfac- 
torily is awarded the diploma of graduation and 
admitted to the Senior Department of the school. 



The Chicopee Plan, 87 

No special work other than that usually taken 
up in Bible classes has been attempted in any of 
the classes of the Senior Department. 

SPIRITUAL WORK. 

Although great stress is laid upon the work of 
instruction in the school, it must not be con- 
cluded that the spiritual v/ork is overlooked. 
This is attended to in two ways : first, in the 
lesson thoughts in connection with the Interna- 
tional Lessons, which are selected, as far as pos- 
sible, to enable the teachers to illustrate and en- 
force spiritual truths; and, secondly, each teacher 
is expected to do all she can in the way of per- 
sonal example and influence to bring the mem- 
bers of her class to Christ. Of course, if any 
special religious interest at any time in the 
church seems to call for it, the work of the 
school is suspended and all the energy is brought 
to bear upon the evangelistic part of the work. 

RESULTS. 

The actual working of this plan has demon- 
strated that many things which might seem to 
be objections have been only imaginary. At 



88 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

the start the scholars were classified according 
to their ages, with occasional modifications with 
reference to their places in the public schools, 
and the teachers were placed in the different 
grades with reference to their relative abili- 
ties, and they were asked to teach certain spe- 
cific things, which of course they cheerfully did. 
The scholars, who are accustomed to this method 
in the public schools, at once caught the idea, 
and their parents became interested to see that 
their lessons were learned before coming to the 
school. The attendance of teachers became 
more regular, for each teacher, having his own 
specific work to do, very soon realized that if 
he were absent his work could not be fully done 
by a substitute, and the attendance of the scholars 
was much improved, for they could see actual 
advancement from Sunday to Sunday. 

The attendance of scholars in the Interme- 
diate Department averages fully twenty per cent 
more than in any other department. Of course, 
the adoption of any system of graded work 
means considerable work for a superintendent 
at the start, and this to a busy man is a serious 
matter ; but after the system is fairly started it 



The Chicopee Plan. 89 

works easier and with less friction to annoy than 
any other plan, and the cause is worthy of the 
effort required. 

Two reasons why schools should be graded 
may be given : 1 . Children will be interested 
in what they can understand, and if the instruc- 
tion both as to form and substance is adapted to 
their growing intellectual abilities it will easily 
be received and taken care of, while, on the 
other hand, if it is not comprehended it excites 
no interest in the mind of the child, and he is 
glad to get out of the school as soon as he can. 
2. The teachers do not go on with their classes 
from year to year indefinitely, and by this means 
it is possible to bring ten succeeding classes 
under the teaching of the ablest teacher you can 
get in a particular grade, instead of confining 
that able teacher to only one class for ten years. 
There can surely be no question as to which is 
the better course. 



90 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 



THE LYNCHBURG PLAN. 



BY IRVINE GARLAND PENN. 



IT was early in the year of 1890 when it be- 
came a positive fact, to the superintendent 
who is now leading our Sunday school, that 
we had accomplished practically nothing as a 
school during the twenty years of our existence. 
In this school our superintendent was entered 
when but a lad of five years. He had shifted 
from class to class, not by reason of any pro- 
motion by the superintendent, teacher, or any 
other officer of the school, but as he advanced 
in age from five to eight, eight to ten, and ten 
to fifteen years he correspondingly grew in size, 
and of his own free will and accord he moved 
from class to class, with no other recommenda- 
tion for promotion but age and size. At the age 
of fifteen he was made secretary, and in that of- 
ficial capacity he took account of the pennies col- 
lected, disbursing them as the board might order. 



The Lynchburg Plan. 91 

Our future superintendent was then promoted 
to be the teacher of Bible Class No. 3. It was 
not Class " Three " because its members knew 
more or less than Class 1 and 2, but because its 
members were a class of misses, while Classes 
1 and 2 were masters and young men. In fact, 
Class 3 was as much entitled to be Class 1 as 
Class 1 was to be Class 1. He was then pro- 
moted to his present position. His career is 
related in order that it may be shown that the 
conclusion which he had reached was founded 
upon personal experience and observation, 
which he took no account of then, but which 
served to demonstrate more forcibly to him that 
the Sunday school was accomplishing nothing 
save the one fact that it met on Sunday morn- 
ings ostensibly for religious instruction. It 
must be said, however, in justice to other super- 
intendents, that, whatever inclination he had to 
seek and ascertain the defects and best needs 
of the school, he was led slightly in that direc- 
tion by those who had shown that something 
was needed, and who knew that a change must 
take place if our Sunday school would maintain 
her standing as a large and growing one in the 



92 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

community. We numbered four hundred, in 
round figures, and while during the boyhood of 
our superintendent the corps of teachers were 
not efficient, by reason of the lack of advantages 
necessary to proper qualification, yet when he 
came into office he found himself surrounded 
by a corps of teachers nearly all of whom were 
prepared by intellectual and divine strength to 
teach anything that could possibly be put into 
a Sunday school course with propriety. 

No longer were there "blind leaders of the 
blind" in the school, but intelligent leaders in 
mind and heart. It was a proposition that 
needed no demonstration to our superintendent 
that he now had the opportunity to present the 
one thing needful in the school, namely, method 
and system in instruction and the adaptiveness 
of work to the susceptibility of the pupil, which 
is the essence of the grade idea. As soon, then, 
as this idea was clear, our superintendent at 
once began inquiry and to hunt literature bear- 
ing on this subject. 

"The Modern Sunday School," by Bishop 
J. H. Vincent, was the first book consulted, and 
the first sentence of Chapter XII, on Gradation, 



The Lynchburg Plan. 93 

gave the idea which settled the conviction. 
The sentence reads: "The Sunday school is a 
school." Nothing is truer than this one sen- 
tence, and the sooner our superintendents and 
teachers get this one idea ineradicably fixed in 
their minds the better it will be for our Sunday 
school interests. Most assuredly the "Sunday 
school is a school " to teach the things of God, 
to instill his truths and impress his good deeds 
and loving favors to the children of men upon 
the mind and hearts of those who must grow 
up in the admonition of the Lord, if they would 
make valiant soldiers and good citizens. It was 
evident that our Sunday school was a school, 
though poor in order, poor in work, and poor in 
everything but singing and the giving of pic- 
nics. Dr. Vincent's book was further consulted, 
with others, and our superintendent reserved 
several months to mature his plans and present 
them. 

In the meantime several articles in the " Sun- 
day School Journal " of May and September, 
1 890, greatly helped him. A plan of action was 
finally decided upon ; first a new registration, 
giving name, age, educational fitness, and some 



94 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

minor matters, was gotten of each pupil as accu- 
rately as possible. In the meantime our plan had 
by this time been told the school, and the taking 
of a new registration, preparatory to the grada- 
tion, created a genuine revival of interest in the 
work. And, too, when the fact was known that 
the school was undergoing a change which 
would give larger and better opportunities to 
the children, fathers and mothers who could 
not themselves read, but who knew what it was 
to have John and Mary to go from Catechism 
to Catechism, from class to class, every time 
higher and higher, gave vent to their feelings in 
many " Amens " and " God-bless-yous." To 
these expressions of approval and the prayers 
of this class the success of our system may be 
greatly attributed. 

The registration having been taken, our su- 
perintendent was intrusted with the gradation 
of the school. On the one hand the burden 
was light ; on the other heavy. The labor was 
light, for no amount of it could seem a burden, 
so great was the interest in the four hundred 
souls who were now for once to be put into the 
shape of an ideal Sunday school. 



The Lynchburg Plan. 95 

On the other hand, it was for once a burden 
to do duty as he saw it, because there were large 
boys and girls who had been hitherto neglected 
in this ghost of a school, and now had to suf- 
fer the worry of doing a thing over when it 
might have been done well at first. But our 
superintendent had no time now to indulge in 
sentimentality ; the work was to be done, it was 
given him to do, and he knew it was for the best 
good of the school ; hence he went at the work 
in the fear of the Lord. During three weeks of 
incessant prayer and labor the work was done, 
submitted to and approved by our board. What 
a change to be made during the next Sunday ! 
John, who could not read, used to be in Bible 
Class No. 1 ; now he is to study the Catechism. 

During the next Sunday the grading was done, 
classes rearranged, teachers replaced to suit the 
departments ; and after all was done we looked 
calmly upon the scene, and never in all the his- 
tory of our Sunday school did it look so well, and 
never have we seen children with such bright 
and happy faces as were in that school on that 
morning. It will never be forgotten even by the 
smallest pupil. As I have said, they were always 



96 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

good singers, but with new life in them they sang 
the praises of God on that morning until it seemed 
we were all tasting of the riches of God as never 
before. The three departments arranged were 
Primary, Intermediate, and Normal, with provi- 
sion for a Normal Training Class. It may be 
said here that we have seen the necessity very 
clearly for the introduction of a Junior Depart- 
ment or Course on account of the length of our 
now existing departments. This will be done on 
" Promotion Sunday " after our January exami- 
nation. 

A course of study was carefully arranged to 
cover the three departments, consisting of seven 
years : Primary Course (provided child entered 
at the age of three), ages from three to ten years ; 
five years' Intermediate Course, ages from ten to 
fifteen years ; five years in the Senior Course, 
ages from fifteen to twenty years. These depart- 
ments, and the years in each, will be slightly 
modified by the introduction of the Junior 
Course. 

The course embraces in our Primary Depart- 
ment the International Lessons in the form of 
the ' ' Picture Lesson Paper. ' ' The Lesson Paper 



The Lynchburg Plan. 97 

is, however, not taken up until the pupil has 
been in this department for four years, presum- 
ing that he enters at three years of age. The 
lessons during the first four years are orally 
taught, and consist of selected verses of the 
Bible, Lord's Prayer, Beatitudes, and selected 
portions of Catechism No. 1. Since the day 
school system only admits pupils at six and 
seven years, it is presumed that they are not 
prepared to be classified in any way as students 
of the International System on account of their 
inability to read. 

Thus all of the pupils from three to six years 
are put into one class and taught orally, as ex- 
plained above. There are sometimes excep- 
tions to this general rule in the case of children 
who may have had early training around the 
fireside. 

The pupils in the Primary Department, having 
received the Lesson Paper at seven or eight years, 
have only from two to three years to remain there 
before the proper age is reached, all other things 
being equal, for their transfer to the next depart- 
ment. During the last two or three years of the 
Primary Course the pupils have for supplemental 



98 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

lessons selected Psalms and verses, Catechism 
No. 1 to Question 25, inclusive. It has been 
demonstrated to our board in our promotions 
that this Primary Course is well conceived and 
serves admirably well the purpose intended, 
which is to lay a foundation upon which a struc- 
ture might be reared without fear of tottering. 

In our Intermediate Course the International 
study begins the first year with the " Beginner's 
Leaf" and is used during three years of the five 
years' course. In the remaining two years the 
" Berean Lesson Leaf " is used. In the use of the 
Beginner's and Berean Leaves the course of 
teaching is laid down by the Examining Board, 
and the teacher directs her talk and instruction 
in that direction. This is to avoid what may be 
termed ' ' splatterdash ' ' teaching — the teaching c f 
everything with special reference to no one par- 
ticular thing, the teaching of what is understood 
and not understood. The supplemental lessons 
for the Intermediate Course include the Ten 
Commandments, Catechisms Nos. 1, 2, and 3, 
and the Old Testament read and thoroughly con- 
sidered from Genesis to Numbers, inclusive. In 
this department special effort is made to impress 



The Lynchburg Plan. 09 

the Baptismal Covenant, the Ten Doctrines of 
Grace, Ten Points of Church Economy, etc. 

The pupil is now fifteen years of age, and, all 
things being equal, he is ready for the Senior 
Course. 

In this department the " Senior Lesson Quar- 
terly " is used. The supplemental work consists 
of a completion of the Old and New Testaments 
thoroughly read and considered during the five 
years. In addition to this, McGee's "Outlines 
of the Methodist Episcopal Church" is studied 
the first year; "The Teacher Before His Class," 
by James L. Hughes, in the second year ; ' ' Nor- 
mal Outlines for Primary Teachers" in the 
third year ; ' ' History of the Sunday School, ' ' by 
Chandler, in the fourth year ; Discipline of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, and "Christian 
Baptism," by Bishop S. M. Merrill, in the fifth 
year. 

Our pupils are then entered in the Normal 
Training Class, where they read such books as 
" Open Letters to Primary Teachers," by Mrs. 
W. F. Crafts; " Hand Book for Teachers," by 
Dr. Joseph Alden. They also consider more fully 
the doctrines of our Methodism and the history 



100 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

of "that great religious movement." as one 
has termed it. The pupils of this class subject 
themselves to much training for Sunday school 
teachers. They are permitted and are expected 
to meet the teachers in their weekly meetings 
in order that they may go over the lessons with 
the teachers and be prepared in case of an emer- 
gency. Our examinations are held semiannu- 
ally. In the supplemental work the examina- 
tions are conducted in written form. As to the 
International studies, the recommendation of a 
pupil by a teacher is sufficient to determine his 
work and his ability to pass to a higher grade. 
The teachers conduct their own examination 
and make tabulated results, the whole of which 
is submitted to our Examining Board, consisting 
of eight members, who carefully pass upon it 
and order the promotion. The promotion is then 
made by the superintendent according to the 
tabulated results. 

As an encouragement to pupils we have 
found it wise to issue certificates to everyone as 
they complete the course of study of each de- 
partment, and finally, when the Senior Course 
is completed, to issue a diploma. The assem- 



The Lynchburg Plan. 101 

bly idea also obtains in our school as a part of 
our system. This has been found indispensable 
as an incentive to devotion, because it makes 
our higher Intermediate and Senior classes feel 
their importance in a measure when they are 
called together every fortnight to hear some 
talk or paper upon some religious topic, apart 
from the Primary and lower Intermediate 
classes. In order that the teachers might be 
more thoroughly interested in the success of 
the system, and thus influence their children, 
our superintendent has very wisely introduced 
the social feature into our work, and very often 
in our consideration of Sunday school matters 
we find ourselves in the midst of a pleasant and 
agreeable reception. This has worked well, for we 
are all creatures of humanity with the same in- 
nate social tendencies. The day of days, yes, the 
red-letter day. is "Promotion Sunday." These 
Sundays will never be forgotten. The enthusi- 
asm is equal to that of Children's Day in every 
respect. Boys and girls with eager hearts pass 
from class to class. As a means necessary to 
the success of our system our superintendent 
very carefully presented the necessity of a larger 



102 Seve?i Graded Sunday Schools. 

library than we had. The plans for raising the 
money were arranged, and, to use the popular 
expression, "they worked like a charm." Hun- 
dreds of dollars were raised, with which we now 
have over oneAthousand volumes and a neatly 
built library case of twenty feet in length. It 
would be a pleasure to tell how that money was 
raised. 

As to the results accomplished in our school by 
the system, suffice it to say they are manifold. 
Order, system, interest, care, study, regular and 
punctual attendance by officers and teachers, 
have been some of the results. In conclusion, 
let us pray that our superintendents and boards 
will see the necessity for this system in their 
schools, and that before long the schools of our 
Methodism may be one of continuous gradation. 



The Plainfield Plan. 103 



THE PLAINFIELD PLAN. 



BY JESSE L. HURLBUT, D.D. 



TWO years have passed since our Sunday 
school was graded, and the results of the 
system are now so apparent that we can safely 
recommend our plan, for it has met and en- 
dured the test of time. Our Sunday school, 
before the grading was accomplished, embraced 
about four hundred scholars of all ages, with 
an average attendance of two hundred and sev- 
enty-five. Its officers and teachers were fifty 
in number. It was by no means an ideal 
school, though above the average in the ef- 
ficiency of its work and the interest of its exer- 
cises. Its building, however, is a model of 
convenience and adaptation to the work of the 
Sunday school, having around the main hall 
eighteen class rooms, all capable of being 
either secluded or opened together at a mo- 
ment's notice. 



104 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

We found in our Sunday school certain evils 
and defects, all of which may be seen else- 
where. Some of these were: 1. "Skeleton 
classes" in the Senior Department, consisting 
of four or five scholars, being the remains of 
what had once been large classes of boys and 
girls. 2. A constant tendency among the 
young people to fall away from the school after 
reaching the age of sixteen or eighteen years. 
3. Great discrepancies of numbers in the classes ; 
large and small classes side by side in the 
same grade. 4. In almost any given class 
a lack of unity in the age and the intellec- 
tual acquirements of its members. 5. Great 
difficulty in obtaining suitable teachers for new 
classes, or to take the places of teachers leav- 
ing the school. 

After many conversations a conclusion was 
reached that most of these evils might be re- 
moved, and others of them might be lessened, 
if the school were reorganized according to a 
good system, and then maintained as a thor- 
oughly graded school. A committee was 
chosen to prepare a plan. Correspondence was 
held with graded schools, all printed informa- 



The Plaznfield Plan. 105 

tion was carefully studied, a plan was prepared, 
printed, submitted to the Sunday School Board, 
discussed, modified, and finally adopted unani- 
mously. The following are the principal fea- 
tures of the plan, for which we make no claim 
of originality, as each of its elements was al- 
ready in successful operation in one or more 
graded Sunday schools : 

1 . That the school should be arranged in four 
general departments : The Senior, for all over 
sixteen years old ; the Junior, from ten to six- 
teen years ; the Intermediate, from eight to ten ; 
and the Primary, for the children younger than 
eight years. These divisions are not arbitrary, 
but represent the average standard of age, to 
which exceptions might be made in special 
cases. 

2. In each department the number of classes 
to be fixed and invariable, except that in the 
Junior Department there might be some nec- 
essary elasticity in the number of classes, owing 
to the varying number of scholars promoted 
into the department in different years. 

3. Promotions to be made annually, and all 
at the same time, on the last Sunday of March. 



103 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

Except in special emergencies no changes in 
classes to be made during the year, either by 
teachers or scholars. If a teacher accepts a 
class on "Promotion Day" it is generally to 
be considered an engagement for the entire 
year, unless a necessity arise. 

4. While in the same department a teacher 
and his class to be advanced together ; that is, 
from the first year of the Intermediate Grade to 
the second, from the first year of the Junior 
Grade to the second, etc. But the promotion 
from one department to another to be attended 
with a change of teachers, in order to keep the 
same number of classes in each department, 
especially the Senior Department, from year to 
year. 

5. While special supplemental lessons may 
be provided for each department, the promo- 
tions to be made upon general fitness, age, and 
intelligence, and not upon the result of an ex- 
amination. No examination upon the plan of 
the public schools is practicable in the Sunday 
school, where all the classes are studying the 
same lesson. All attempt at making an ex- 
amination the prerequisite of promotion is apt 



The Plainfield Plan. 107 

to become a pretense in the actual working of 
the scheme. 

6. It was also decided that the entire school 
should be reorganized on a certain day, in 
accordance with the above plan. A careful 
committee of seven members, including the 
pastor and superintendent, made a canvass of 
the school, ascertained the age of each scholar 
under seventeen, conferred with the teachers, 
and then prepared a new list of teachers and 
scholars for all classes in the school, making 
many changes, both in the teaching staff and 
the assignment of scholars. 

Sunday, March 30, 1890, was a memorable 
day, being our first " Promotion Sunday." We 
approached it with some anxiety, for on that day 
our committee held in its hands the fate of every 
teacher and every scholar. Old ties were to be 
broken, new relations were to be entered upon. 
Ten teachers were to be returned to the ranks as 
Senior scholars, and the complexion of every 
class was to be changed. No one could tell 
v/hat heart-burnings would be engendered and 
what disappointments would come. The super- 
intendent made a statement of the new plan, and 



108 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

proceeded to read the new roll, beginning with 
Class No. 1 of the Senior Department. As 
the names were called the members left their 
former classes and took their new places in the 
class room. Eight classes were assigned to the 
Senior Grade, each having a separate room. 
These classes were a young men's class, three 
young ladies' classes, a class of elderly ladies, 
a lecture class of ladies and gentlemen, a class 
of reserve teachers, and a normal class to be 
trained for teachers in the course of the Chau- 
tauqua Normal Union. 

In the Junior Department sixteen classes were 
formed. Those of the lowest rank, the first year, 
took the front row of seats ; the second year the 
second row, etc. Those of the fifth year Junior 
were in two classes, one for boys and another 
for girls, each having a room. The teachers of 
these two classes remain constant, and change 
their scholars every year ; but during the first 
four years of the grade the teachers advance 
with their scholars, changing their seats every 
year, but retaining their classes. 

The Intermediate Department consists of two 
large classes, each in a separate room. One 



The Plainfield Plan. 109 

class is of little children just promoted from the 
Primary Department ; the other, of those who 
have been in the Intermediate Grade a year. 
The teacher remains with each class for two 
years, the term of this grade. We are inclined 
to favor a three-year term in this grade, with a 
class for each year, thus making the age at ad- 
mission to the Senior Department seventeen in- 
stead of sixteen years. 

Our Primary Department formerly consisted 
of nine or ten small classes under one Primary 
superintendent. In the reorganization we con- 
stituted it as one class, with a teacher and an 
assistant. This change released a number of 
teachers for service in the school, and was on 
the whole an improvement. Whether it would 
be desirable everywhere depends on circum- 
stances. In many places it might be easier to 
find ten teachers, each of whom can teach ten 
scholars, than one who can teach one hundred. 

When the roll of the school had been fully 
called every teacher and every scholar had been 
assigned, except one boy, who had joined the 
school that day, and was left standing in the 
middle of the room in a bewildered state of 



110 Seve7i Graded Sunday Schools. 

mind over the revolution which was going on 
around him. A view of the newly arranged 
classes from the platform showed the school 
looking more orderly than ever before, and gave 
it the appearance of having twice as many adult 
scholars as formerly. 

One item must not be forgotten. The super- 
intendent announced that each department would 
hold a "reception" adapted to the age of its 
members. The Senior reception was appointed 
for Monday evening of the next week, and was 
to include upon its program music, addresses, 
readings, cake, and cream. All the young people 
were eager to be counted in, and hence willing 
to leave their old classes for the new ones. A 
fortnight later the Junior Department held its 
reception, with a stereopticon entertainment and 
the refreshments. Even if a boy can obtain 
a superabundance of cake at home he will be 
drawn by the prospect of another slice to the 
Sunday school sociable. Each department held 
its own reception, all were happy, and the young 
ladies and gentlemen were not made to feel that 
they were simply on the fringe of an institution 
adapted mainly to little children. 



The Plainfield Plan. Ill 

The system thus inaugurated has been in oper- 
ation two years. What have been its results ? 

There were at first some complaints by teach- 
ers, scholars, and parents. But only one teacher 
left the school ; the classes settled down to work 
and soon became acquainted ; a few changes, 
but only a very few, were made in the assign- 
ments of the scholars, as, for example, where a 
mistake had been made in the age of a pupil ; 
and soon everybody was satisfied with the new 
arrangement. Among its manifest benefits we 
may note the following : 

1. The Senior Department is maintained with 
large classes and growing numbers. There is 
a social feeling, an " esprit de corps," in a large 
class which is not found in a small one ; hence 
the shrinkage is less. And whatever loss is met 
is more than supplied from the new blood infused 
each year on " Promotion Sunday." 

2. The scholars in the Junior Department have 
an aim and a hope before them. They look for- 
ward to their promotion with earnest expectation, 
and are on this account the more loyal to the 
school. 

3. Inasmuch as all changes are made at a 



112 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

given time they are prepared for. For three 
months the superintendent is planning for " Pro- 
motion Sunday." If a teacher can be better fitted 
with a class, a change is made at that time ; 
and where many changes are made at once the 
friction of each is reduced to a minimum. 
Classes are made more nearly uniform in their 
constituency, and the school is kept up to an 
evenness of organization which greatly increases 
its efficiency. 

4. There has been a marked increase in the 
membership of the school. Notwithstanding the 
organization of a mission school by the church, 
taking away several workers and some scholars, 
the school has an attendance from seventy-five 
to one hundred larger than that of two years 
ago. 

After a trial of two years we are sure that the 
establishment of a graded system and a faithful 
adherence to its plans have greatly benefited our 
Sunday school. 



A Model Sunday School Room. 113 



A MODEL SUNDAY SCHOOL 
ROOM, 

THE Sunday school is the door to the Church 
through which enters the great majority of 
its members. This fact alone would account for 
the increasing interest that the Church now mani- 
fests toward the school. As the institution which 
trains the young for the Church, and leads both 
young and old into the Church, the Sunday 
school is entitled to the Church's support and 
care. 

The housing of the Sunday school is one of 
the most important subjects that can come be- 
fore the Church as the guardian of the school. 
Too often the work of the school is impeded by 
unsuitable and inconvenient quarters. Just as 
the. public school building now claims the atten- 
tion of architects and sanitary engineers, the 
Sunday school hall is also attracting notice. 

It is only twenty-two years since the first 



114 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

building thoroughly adapted for the uses of 
the Sunday school was erected at Akron, 0. 
This building, the joint conception of the Hon. 
Lewis Miller, superintendent, and Mr. Jacob 
Snyder, architect, has furnished most of the 
ideas peculiar to Sunday school construction, 
and is therefore entitled to preeminence in the 
record. Others have improved upon the details 
of the Akron plan, but its fundamental principles 
have never been superseded, and can never be. 
Those principles are only two, and they seem 
almost incompatible with each other. They have 
been called " aloneness " and "togetherness;" 
that is, that each class in certain departments 
shall be isolated in a separate room, and yet 
that all the classes may be brought together into 
one room for general exercises without delay, 
without confusion, and without the change of 
seats by the classes. 

Among the dozen or more Sunday school 
buildings on the Akron plan one of the most 
convenient and most complete, yet not one of 
the most expensive, is that connected with the 
Methodist Episcopal Church in Plainfield, N.J. 
As this was for twenty years the church home 



A Model Sunday School Room. 115 

of the Rev. Bishop John H. Vincent, the Sun- 
day school bears the appropriate name of " Vin- 
cent Chapel." The plans were drawn by Mr. 
Oscar S. Teale, architect. Mr. Teale was at 




First Floor, Plan 

Vincent Chapel 

that time the efficient secretary of the school, 
and added to an architect's knowledge a worker's 
practical acquaintance with the needs of the Sun- 
day school. The chapel, as may be seen by the 



116 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

diagrams, embraces a large room, with eighteen 
smaller class rooms around it, nine upon each 
floor. The partitions of the class rooms are so 
arranged as to offer no obstruction to the line of 
vision from any seat in the building to the super- 
intendent's desk and the blackboard fastened to 
the wall back of it. Thus the superintendent 
can see and be seen by every pupil and teacher 
in the building. He can also be heard with per- 
fect ease in every class room, as the acoustic 
properties of the building are excellent. 

The main room is used by the Junior Depart- 
ment, in which the scholars are from eleven to 
sixteen years of age. The classes are seated 
according to grade, the " first year Juniors " on 
the front row of classes ; the " second year Jun- 
iors " on the second row, etc., for four rows, the 
boys on the superintendent's right, the girls on 
his left. Each year, on " Promotion Sunday," 
the classes move one row farther from the desk, 
and the new classes formed from the Interme- 
diate Department take the front row of seats. 

The nine class rooms on the ground floor are 
used as follows : In the left-hand corner, just 
where the most of the scholars pass in entering 



A Model Sunday School Room. 117 

and leaving, is the secretary's room. Next is 
the " fifth year Junior," into which all the girls 
enter after four years in the Junior Grade, leav- 
ing their former teachers for a new one. In this 
class they stay either one or two years, according 
to age and acquirements, and from it are pro- 
moted to the Senior Department. The third 
room is that of the " Ladies' Bible Class ; " the 
fourth, the " Reserve Class." Next comes the 
church parlor, seating a hundred people, and 
used by a large Senior Class. The next room 
is for the "first year Intermediate," that is, 
those just advanced from the Primary Depart- 
ment ; the seventh, the "second year Interme- 
diate;" the eighth, a "young men's Senior 
Class;" the ninth, and last, the boys' section 
of the "fifth year Junior," the largest class of 
boys in the Junior Department. 

On the ground floor are four entrances, one 
at each corner. As the chapel stands at the 
rear of the church it was necessary to have the 
principal entrance on each side of the room fac- 
ing the school. This is a slight drawback, as a 
rear entrance would be preferable, in order not 
to distract attention to the late comers. 



118 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

The partitions between the class rooms are 
windows of ground glass of amber color. They 
are movable, so that classes can be united when- 
ever desirable. Those between class rooms and 
the main room are double doors of ground glass, 
so hung that they may be swung aside easily, 
and arranged when open not to interfere with the 
line of vision. All the rooms are well lighted 
and well ventilated ; and the main room, when 
all the rooms are closed, has abundant light and 
air from a clear story above, with movable win- 
dows. 

To the gallery and its classes there are three 
entrances. The one from without the building 
leads exclusively to the Primary Class, which, 
by having its own exit, can adjourn earlier than 
the rest of the school. The two other stars are 
interior and lead to the gallery corridor, on 
which all the class rooms of the upper floor 
open. These are separated from each other and 
from the main room by sliding doors of amber 
glass, so that they may be united or isolated at 
will, and in a moment. The seats in these 
classes rise in tiers so that those in the rear as 
well as in the front can see the platform and the 



A Model Sunday School Room. 119 

blackboard. There are nine class rooms, of 
which the central one is for the Primary De- 
partment, and all the others are for the Senior 
classes. All the Senior classes are large, and 




Gallery Plan 

Vincent Chapel 

are kept full by promotion every year from the 
Junior Grade. 

The library room is at the main entrance, so 
that books may be delivered by the pupils while 
passing into the school, and might be given to 
them while passing out, though in fact they are 



120 Seven Graded Sunday Schools. 

brought by the librarian to the classes. On the 
opposite side of the building, in the rear of the 
entrance, is a kitchen, which is used at enter- 
tainments and social gatherings. For these two 
or three of the class rooms are thrown together 
as a refreshment room adjoining the kitchen. 

One advantage of such a chapel is its expand- 
able character. When all the rooms are closed 
there is seating capacity for two hundred and 
fifty chairs in the main room, which generally 
suffices for the prayer meeting, while room 
after room may be opened as the congregation 
increases. This form of building is equally 
adapted for the Sunday school, the prayer 
meeting, and the social gatherings of the 
Church. 



x& 




Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process I 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: Sept. 2005 

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